Lagos-Benin Highway Bus Massacre
I am not going to post the picture here for show. If you have not found it yet, you can view it on the NIGERIA MASTERWEB page. I have also posted it to my Flickr account here.
The story is being covered ably by the BBC, but I am sure that there are good Nigerian journalists working on it as well. The incident actually during July of 2009, although it has garnered fresh media attention beginning a little over a week ago. The original story from the Nigerian Tribune, written at the time of the incident, has been reposted to Online Nigeria. The Nigerian Senate itself was quite confused as to the date and details when it took up the issue on Wednesday, March 3rd. The otherwise trustworthy online publications Next and All Africa both reported an incorrect date of February 23rd in stories widely circulated through the blogosphere.
UPDATES: (3/5) Imnakoya has a very thoughtful post about the incident with a tasteful link to the photograph at his Grandiose Parlor. His post already has four comments and promises to stimulate lively discussion.
(3/6) The Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, provided a full accounting of the incident to the Nigerian Senate on Thursday, March 4th. As quoted by Yemi Akinsuyi in This Day, Inspector Onovo related that -
On the 31st of July, 2009, a luxury bus belonging to Young Shall Grow Transport Company left Enugu for Lagos. On the way, the bus developed a fault, which was temporarily corrected. As it started moving again,
this time around, on a slow pace, some suspected armed robbers attacked the vehicle and ordered all the 41 passengers in the bus to alight. They were ordered to sit down right on the road. While the operation was going on, a heavy duty vehicle, on a high speed, which had lost control, ran over the people. Six females and 13 males lost their lives in the process, while the two drivers of the vehicles were arrested and taken to Shagamu Police Station, where the incident occurred.
posted by Don Thieme @ 4:10 AM
8 Comments
8 Comments:
Thanks for the link, Don. Here is another related link to the story: "Why I crushed robbery victims –Truck driver", on The Sun News. Link:
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2010/mar/08/newsbreak-08-03-2010-001.htm
Imnakoya - It is such a troubling story! This man's interview does show a human side which at least gives me some hope for Nigeria's future.
Police Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu needs to resign his post or be immediately terminated..
He had the audacity to say that “Following some offensive photographs being posted on the internet by some mischievous
people who made the incident looked like it happened recently,
the force would like to inform the public that the ugly accident happened on July 31, 2009,” he said.
WHO CARES IF THIS HAPPENED IN 1901 OR IN 2010. THIS TYPES OF BEHAVIOR IS UNACCEPTABLE.
THIS IS JUST WRONG..NOBODY DESERVES TO DIE LIKE THIS.....NIGERIA INDEED WE HAIL THEE....WHEN WILL WE START TO VALUE LIVES OF OUR CITIZENS.
TRY KILLING ONE AMERICAN CITIZEN AND SEE IF AMERICA WILL NOT NUKE THE WHOLE COUNTRY..WHO CARES IF THIS HAPPENED IN 1901 OR IN 2010. THIS TYPES OF BEHAVIOR IS UNACCEPTABLE.
THIS IS JUST WRONG..NOBODY DESERVES TO DIE LIKE THIS.....NIGERIA INDEED WE HAIL THEE....WHEN WILL WE START TO VALUE LIVES OF OUR CITIZENS.
@Anonymous - I agree that it makes no difference if this happened in 2009 or yesterday. However, the politicians should have been aware of it at the time. This does show how little they care about domestic public opinion and how important their image overseas is to them.
I do feel some concern for the next of kin for those killed when this image is so widely circulated through the internet. I share some of the concerns of the police flack Ojukwu, although he could have phrased his remarks a bit more tactfully.
something like this had happened to a friend's friend some time back. wen reading @ first, i tot u were referring to that incident. hmmm. na wa o. as much as i dey fear plane clash, i'd rather fly to places joo. naija roads r just death-traps
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