By Victor Ahiuma-Young, Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsuru Olowoopejo

LAGOS — DESPITE the expiration of the 72-hour directive for the removal of all trucks and tankers in Apapa and its environs, the heavy duty vehicles still occupied most routes in the area yesterday.

President Buhari

Motorists and residents experienced the usual gridlock as many vehicles were still parked indiscriminately on the roads.

The worst hit areas are Otto-Wharf, Mile -2, Kirikiri junction, Mazamaza/Mile-2 Bridge, Old Ojo Road, Sunrise, and Trinity.

Some armed Mobile policemen were seen controlling the traffic to some extent, but they were practically overwhelmed by large number of trucks on the roads.

However, Vanguard noticed that the trucks were no longer at Cele, Ijesha, Sanya, and Second Rainbow by Fatgbems Filling Station.

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These came as a female officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, was crushed to death while enforcing the Presidential Order yesterday.

The female officer identified as 33-year-old Folashade Arogundade, was said to have been crushed to death while a truck was reversing.

However, some truck drivers, who were stuck in the gridlock, yesterday, told Vanguard that they were driving to a park that had been earmarked for them.

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Upon inquiry as to whether the relocation of the vehicles had commenced, Chief Executive of LASTMA, Chris Olakpe, said the joint taskforce has commenced enforcement gradually.

We’ve commenced enforcement — LASTMA

Olapke said: “All I can tell you is that it’s a vacation order by Mr. President and activities and action have commenced. And the trucks are being moved to areas used as parking bay. The stakeholders have met and they are cooperative but activity is going on. With the collaboration of the private sector with LASTMA as arrow head in conjunction with men of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, they are working very hard

“The challenge is that people really want to see the effect of enforcement immediately but I can assure the populace that by tomorrow (today) and Tuesday, the effect will be visible with astronomical improvement in traffic situation in the area.

“Pragmatic action is on-going, vehicles are being moved out. The operators of the trucks are also complying voluntarily backed up with serious enforcement, because they were part of the stakeholders’ meeting. Presently, we are dealing with the Trinity area and I’m sure the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Terminal at Orile-Igamu is almost completed to be used as parking bay very soon.

“The operation being carried out on public private partnership collaboration is very much in place. We have sufficient capacity in terms of human material and equipment to achieve a resounding success for the operation.

“However, the operators should sustain the voluntary compliance or face the wrath of the law. Any operator caught flouting the directive will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly. This is a sustainable operation until sanity is restored and there is peace and tranquility, progress that is visible and accessible for all Nigerians.”

On the fear of security operatives not being compromised, Olakpe said: “This will be different because it has the direct backing of President Muhammadu Buhari. It’s not something to joke with. The directive has both the teeth to bite and make sure everything is effective, effectual, dynamic and pragmatic operation.

“The Lagos State Government is fully conscious of its responsibility to protect lives and property, as well as enforce the laws duly made for the safety of all.”

It‘ll ease out today, says transport union official

Reacting, an official of one of the transport unions, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, assured that before the end of today, the situation on the Apapa Oshodi Expressway would have eased off, saying there was already over 80 percent compliance on Ikorodu Road and other adjoining areas.

Female LASTMA officer crushed to death

Vanguard learned that the LASTMA official, who was crushed to death, was survived by her two-year-old child.

Vanguard gathered that the deceased, who was deployed to LASTMA Zone 36, Apapa, one of the formations vested with the responsibility to assist in clearing the trucks from the axis, celebrated her third year in service last month.

To prepare the ground for the clearance which starts on Monday (today), it was learned that Folashade and her colleagues in Zone 36, were directed by the State Government to commence operation on Saturday.

A LASTMA officer told Vanguard that they were busy with the directives at Area B Police Command, when a truck with Borno State number plate: XB 220 MAG, reversed suddenly and crushed her to death.

LASTMA chief reacts

Confirming her death yesterday, the LASTMA General Manager, Wale Musa, has assured the family and relatives that the driver will be arrested and prosecuted.

Musa, in a statement made available to Vanguard by LASTMA Public Relations Officer, Mr. Mahmud Hassan, disclosed that the tragedy occurred at Area B Apapa police station at 4:30 pm on Saturday.

He said: “The deceased was busy with her duty when the truck reversed suddenly without the driver or his assistant standing behind the vehicle to guide him.

“The vehicle crushed her against the wall. In a bid to rescue Folashade, her colleagues rushed her to Apapa General Hospital where the medical doctor confirmed her as Brought-in-Dead (B.I.D).”

He disclosed that the remains of the deceased has been deposited at the General Hospital, Lagos Island morgue.

According to him, the vehicle has been impounded by the Nigerian Police and they have commenced investigation to arrest the driver who escaped from the scene.

Musa, while commiserating with colleagues, family and relatives of the deceased, described her as one of LASTMA best officers, saying, it is unfortunate that we lost her when we are restoring sanity to Apapa.

While appealing to truck drivers and owners, the general manager stressed that the accident could be avoided “if the truck driver had done the needful, which is fixing a side mirror and someone at the rear, guiding him.”