A Lagbus driver, identified as Idowu Kolawole, who was accused of putting the lives of his passengers and road users at risk with his rough driving by a soldier, was allegedly flogged mercilessly by the soldier.
According to eyewitnesses of the incident which happened in Marina, Lagos, the wrong driver was flogged, as they disclosed that the soldier snatched a cane from some motor unionists in the area, which he used in flogging the driver. When begged by the passengers, he allegedly replied “Are the people in that Danfo bus not human beings?”
The eyewitnesses further disclosed that the commercial bus driver, who had stopped illegally to pick passengers, moved suddenly, forcing the BRT bus coming behind him to swerve sharply to avoid hitting the bus and other vehicles. The soldier then ordered the Danfo driver to chase the Lagbus bus vehicle, and block it on top of the bridge on the Marina.
When begged by the passengers to stop beating the poor driver, he allegedly replied “Are the people in that Danfo bus not human beings?”
“It was the Danfo driver that was at fault. If the BRT driver had not swerved, he would have hit the bus and some of the passengers would have been injured. He did what he could to avert trouble yet he was punished” a passenger said.
When interviewed by the nation, the poor driver said;
“The man just used his power on me. If he had been inside the Lagbus vehicle and witnessed what the Danfo driver did, he would have jumped down to beat the driver.
“The driver did not watch the road before he moved so I was forced to swerve to avoid hitting the car on the fast lane on my left. Because of him, the soldier beat me and even used his boot to kick my side. Unfortunately, I did not see his (the soldier’s) name well enough to identify him.”