The driver of the Lagos State Government Staff bus who was blamed for the incident that led to a train colliding with a bus at the PWD/ Shogunle railway line, on the Agege motor road, Lagos Thursday, has appealed to victims of the accident to forgive him.
While some survivors said the 44-year-old driver, Oluwaseun Osinbajo, had his earpiece on while driving and ignored the directive of the Flag Officers at the rail line, he however, blamed the cause on a mechanical fault in the bus.
Besides, the police said that the outcome of the medical report, among which was a blood sample to ascertain if the driver was on drugs or mentally fit, was yet to be out as of the time of writing this report, Vanguard reports.
The driver who works with the Lagos State Ministry of Transport was transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department, SCIID, on Friday.
He was overheard narrating to some of his relatives who were waiting for him there.
He said, “It was not my fault. How could I have ignored warning signs? The bus had a mechanical fault. It is a pity this has happened. I beg everyone affected to please forgive me in the name of God.”
Identities of some who survived and were rushed to the Orile Agege General Hospital on Thursday were; Juwon Fagbohun, 27, from the Agency for Mass Education; Adesoji Ajibade, of the Office of the Head of Service; Mariam Olayiwola,18, Ministry of Health and Eniola Fashoyin 53, from the Office of the Head of Service, PSO Alausa.
Others were: Mrs Adejoke Banjo, 42, from the Office of the Head of Service; Olaide Alabi, 21, a student on Industrial Attachment with the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Empowerment; Sekinat Ogunremi, 24, from the Ministry of Justice; Aishat Gbadegeshin, 25, from the Ministry Of Establishment and Training; Ganiyat Raji, from the Ministry of Science and Technology and Mrs Oluwatoyin Abiodun, 46, a staff of the Ministry of Information and Strategy.
Some of them were yet to come out of the shock. Describing her survival as a miracle, one of them disclosed how she narrowly escaped death. The survivor who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “I would have been one of those in the morgue. I boarded the bus at Ikotun and sat on the middle row, close to the window, a position that had become my permanent seat.
“But on that fateful day, a friend from the Head of Service (names withheld) invited me to come to sit with her on the third row, in front. She said the person she reserved the seat for called to say she won’t be joining the staff bus. That was how I left my permanent seat, which happened to be the exact place the train hit.
“Any time I remember that I would quickly dismiss the thought of death with a shrug. This can only be God and I am grateful.”
Another survivor who simply gave her name as Ope, said, “The staff bus, conveys every staff of the Lagos State State Government living in the Ikotun/Isolo area, irrespective of the department or agency, as long as the staff is headed for the secretariat.
“I sat in the first three rolls in front. I slept off immediately I boarded the bus in order to catch some sleep before reaching the office.”
