The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has firmly denied any involvement in the death of an individual found hanging near an estate gate along the Lagos-Sagamu Expressway. The clarification came from LASTMA’s General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, through a statement issued by Mr. Taofiq Adebayo, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment at the agency.
Addressing circulating rumors on social media, Bakare-Oki debunked claims suggesting that the deceased’s vehicle had been impounded by LASTMA officers. According to him, the body was discovered early Thursday morning by passersby, who promptly reported it to the police at Shagamu Road.
“Several speculations were made by sympathizers present at the scene. Some said he was dressed like a motorcyclist (okada rider), while others speculated he was a tricyclist (Marwa rider),” Bakare-Oki explained. He also mentioned that some onlookers believed the man might have been brought to the location by his killers to make the scene appear like a suicide, noting that the victim’s feet were touching the ground.
“For brevity, no one could really identify him as either an okada or Marwa rider from amongst several operators who visited the scene,” he added, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding the victim’s identity.
Bakare-Oki expressed his condolences to the deceased’s family and cautioned the public against spreading unverified information. “It is unfortunate that the incident occurred by an estate gate along Lagos-Sagamu Expressway,” he stated, urging people to verify facts before sharing them.
He also confirmed that the body has been removed by the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit in Yaba, Lagos.
