The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has cautioned residents across the state against boarding the Bus Rapid Transit vehicle without inner lights at night.
This is coming on the heels of the death of 22-year-old lady, Miss Oluwabamishe Ayanwole, who was “killed” inside a BRT vehicle on her way from the Lekki area of the state recently.
Reacting to the incident on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu cautioned members of the public not to board BRT buses after the close of bus services in the evening.
Speaking to journalists during an event held at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan to commemorate International Women’s Day, the governor noted that buses that have closed for the day would indicate by switching off its inner lights.
According to him, when BRT drivers switch off their inner lights, Sanwo-Olu said the buses were expected to be taken back empty to their yards.
“Any bus that has its inner lights on at night is certainly still on service. Once the lights are off and the radar in the bus is not displaying, people should desist from boarding such bus, because it is no longer in service at that period.
“By that time, the checker and conductor would have been out of the bus, except the driver who is expected to take the empty bus back to their yards,” the governor said.
Sanwo-Olu said the circumstances surrounding the death of Ayanwole, while in transit on a BRT bus, would be fully unravelled, stressing that stiff punishment awaits anyone found culpable in what he described as a “criminal and dastardly act”.
Sanwo-Olu said the State Government remained determined to pursue the matter transparently and to a logical conclusion.
The governor said those raising allegations of cover-up against the state government were low-minded and had no conscience, stressing that there should be no reason for anyone to trivialise an incident that claimed the life of an innocent citizen.
“There is an investigation that is currently going on and because it is a criminal matter, only the police are empowered constitutionally to fully unravel all of the events that happened, which led to the death of the lady. The development has been condemned at the highest level of the Government. I personally stand to condemn it and offer condolences to the family of our citizen, Oluwabamishe.
“I have read some narratives and write-ups in the social media in the last few hours. Some people are deliberately and extremely being sensational, posting that Lagos State Government wants to cover something; even my person. These people trivialise life, which appears to me like they just want to score a cheap point. These people are of low minds and have no conscience.
“Our Government will certainly not be deterred with such wicked narratives. What we are about is to ensure that we transparently get to the roots of the matter. That is why the police and the Department of State Service (DSS) picked up the driver, who ran to another State, where he was arrested. Full wrath of the law will be applied on whoever is found wanting in this matter. And we will ensure the incident does not repeat itself.”
Sanwo-Olu expressed confidence in the ability of the police to conduct thorough investigation and expose anyone or group of persons behind the death of the bus passenger.
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