How Lagos Bus Driver Set Self Ablaze Over Impounded Bus

On Tuesday, an unidentified commercial bus driver lit himself on fire in the Ajao Estate neighborhood of Lagos State.

According to Punch, the incident happened on Tuesday after officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation seized some shuttles on the Murtala Muhammed International Airport route.

The driver of the bus, which was among the detained vehicles, was alleged to be protesting the seizure when he reached for gasoline, poured it on himself, and lit himself on fire.

During the enforcement, a neighbor named Aliu said there was resistance between the offended drivers and the task force personnel.

He said, “Task force operatives went to clean up the Airport shuttle area. During the exercise, they impounded some buses and had a face-off with some of the drivers. At a point, one of the frustrated drivers poured petrol on himself and set himself ablaze.”

Another resident, who identified herself as Kudirat, said the victim got the vehicle on hire purchase.

“The driver was frustrated. The task force operatives took the impounded vehicles away,” she added.

CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, the state Police Public Relations Officer, said state Commissioner of Police Abiodun Alabi had ordered an investigation into the incident.

He said, “The information we got was that there was resistance when task force from the ministry of transportation went for enforcement. No policeman set any vehicle ablaze; policemen attached to the Ajao Estate Police Division were not involved in what happened. However, the Commissioner of Police has ordered investigation into the incident.”

Raheem Gbadeyinka, a spokesman for the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit, claimed no officers from the unit were involved in the operation.

“The event happened about 5 a.m., and our personnel were still at the office at 8 a.m. because we were looking for fuel for our patrol vans at the time,” he explained.