By Monsuru Olowoopejo

The public hearing by the tribunal of inquiry into the July 4th, 2014 road accident and subsequent arson and vandalism of the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT buses has ended with accounts by different witnesses of what they believed transpired on the fateful day.

The three-man tribunal chaired by Justice Ebenezer Adebajo, rtd, which commenced its public hearing on September 15th, 2014 was inaugurated by the governor Babatunde Fashola to investigate the incident which occurred at Palmgrove axis of the state and submit its findings to the state government within 60 days after its inauguration.

The public hearing held at the T-block of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, could not establish how the body of the late Lance Corporal Ishaya Mathew who rode on a motorbike with registration number MUS-565 QB, got into the BRT M063, said to have knocked down the deceased.

First, there were conflicting reports of the time of the accident. While some witnesses alleged that the accident occurred on the night of July 3rd, 2014, others said it led to the death of the soldier in the early hours of the day.

But the tribunal however heard, first hand, several activities that occurred before and after the accident.

Five BRT buses burnt, 10 vandalized – NURTW

Mr. Egharevba Emoron, the Human resource manager for 1st BRT owned by the NURTW, said “five of our buses were burnt while 10 were vandalized by the soldiers.”

Emoron explained that three of the buses-252, 299 and 254, were completely burnt while two others -bus 256 and 257, were partially burnt by the soldiers.

Emoron said “I saw the soldiers collecting mobile phones from commuters and smashing them on the ground until they were satisfied that the phones could no longer function.”

A female soldier set the first bus ablaze-witness

Speaking at the third day of the public hearing in Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, Mr. Rasak Mustapha, an employee of LAGBUS Asset Management, said that a female military officer set the first bus ablaze.

Mustapha explained that the buses “were packed bumper to bumper. And immediately the first bus was set ablaze at the Palm-grove bus shelter, it ignited others.“

Palmgrove bus shelter

He noted that the female officer who was armed with a plastic bottle filled with Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, poured the content on the vehicle and ignited the fire.

I can identify female soldier who set first bus ablaze-Witness

Mr. Oluwole Nejo, a driver with National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW owners of the first BRT bus to be burnt at the tribunal said “I know the soldier who burnt our buses. If I see her (the female soldier) today, I will recognize her.”

Nejo,  explained “On that fateful day, I saw several soldiers on the Ikorodu road. Of these large numbers, three walked towards my bus and attacked us (the passengers and the driver). Of the three soldiers, two were male while the third was a female.

15 drivers resigned over soldiers’ assault -NURTW

Speaking at the public hearing in Ikeja, Mr. Olusegun Spencer, the head of project development for National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, owners of the BRT buses, said that no fewer than 15 BRT drivers resigned after theincident.

Spencer explained that drivers who suffered varying degrees of injuries and bus ticketers, resigned over fear of subsequent attack from soldiers in the state.

Fear of attack

His words “At least 15 drivers and some ticketers have resigned their appointments. However, those who stayed behind now work with fear of attack from the soldiers.”

Our officers were meters away to arson scene — Military

Captain Francis Okafor told the tribunal that; “At the time the arson was committed, the soldiers were busy inspecting the accident spot, which was at least 300 meters away from where the buses were set ablaze.

“I could not see the person who set the buses ablaze, all I saw from a afar was smoke from where the buses were parked. But my soldiers were not at the scene where the arson was committed. They were busy inspecting the bus involved in the accident. I ordered that some officers should leave the scene. And they did,” Okafor added.

LASTMA insists, soldiers harassed residents

In his own account, a LASTMA officer at the scene, Kayode Odunuga recounted that on the fateful day, “While we were waiting for the policemen from the Onipanu Police Station to conduct necessary documentation, before the removal of the accidented vehicles, a large number of military personnel arrived the scene.

He added “Following this, the situation became uncontrollable as more men of the Nigerian Army took over the road to sympathize with their dead colleague.

I saw military officers vandalizing BRT buses -Police

Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. Gbolahan Olugbemi, Divisional Police Officer, DPO for Ilupeju Police Station, accused the military officers of perpetrating the act.

Olugbemi said “I arrived at the scene at about 8:30 am and I discovered that there was breakdown of law and order. And this was perpetrated by men suspected to be military officers. This was because they were putting on military uniforms.”

“And due to this, I made calls to senior military officers to help address the situation.

“The area boys did not disturb because if they did, I could have arrested them. It was because these men in military uniforms at the scene were busy disrupting activities; that was the reason I had to call some senior officers whom I believe could help call the officers to order.

He noted that due to action of the military officers, “there were some areas my officers could not reach because of the situation at the scene was tense.”