Mob burns BRT bus for crushing motorcyclist

A BRT bus reportedly set ablaze by an angry mob after a commercial motorcyclist was killed at Ogolonto bus stop in Ikorodu, Lagos. Credit: X | kinglammyjames

Tension erupted at the Ogolonto Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road, Lagos State, on Friday after an angry mob set a Bus Rapid Transit bus ablaze following a fatal accident involving a motorcyclist.

The mob also attacked the BRT driver before police officers and officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps intervened and rescued him.

The Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Amodu Shakiru, confirmed the incident to Saturday PUNCH.

He said the fire service received a distress call at about 10:21 a.m. and that personnel arrived at the scene to find the BRT bus engulfed in flames.

“The information got to us at about 10:21 hrs, and on arrival at the scene, we met the BRT bus at Ogolonto Bus Stop, along Ikorodu Road, and we were able to douse the fire on the bus.

“It was reported that some aggrieved persons set the bus on fire because of an accident the BRT bus was involved in. The driver was beaten, but he is still alive. He was rescued by security operatives and has received medical attention,” he said.

Shakiru added that he could not provide further details about the accident.

A video seen by Saturday PUNCH showed the BRT bus engulfed in flames as firefighters battled to put out the fire.

An X user, @kinglammyjames, who shared details of the incident, wrote, “Live at OGOLONTO. A bike man was crushed to death by the BRT bus, and in turn, the street boys burned down the BRT bus.”

Another X user, @AkinlabiOlabod1, also reported that a BRT bus was set ablaze by residents in the Ogolonto area.

He wrote, “A BRT set ablaze by Ogolonto boys along Ikorodu Road. The okada rider is rumoured to be a prominent member of the Eiye confraternity in the area, reportedly their number 1.”

The claim about the identity of the deceased, however, could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

The circumstances surrounding the crash, including the identity of the deceased motorcyclist, were also yet to be officially confirmed.

The burning of the bus coincided with another road crash reported in the Ogolonto area.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, in a post on X, said a sixty-tyre mini truck loaded with perishable goods had earlier crashed into two Toyota Coaster buses at Ogolonto, inward Agric, at about 4:53 p.m.

LASTMA said the crash was reportedly caused by brake failure and that no casualties were recorded.

The agency added that the vehicles had been moved to one side of the road while its officials worked to resolve the incident and manage traffic flow in the area.