The 30-month old Nigeria/Biafra war ended on January 1970, with thousands of people dying on both sides of the internecine conflict. But 40 years after the war ended, death continued to stalk the land and indeed several individuals lost their lives simply because they ignorantly and innocently handled or came in contact with explosives and other weapons of mass destruction left uncleared and unexploded in South East communities since the end of the war.

Time was 2.30 pm when the commercial bus took off from Mile 12 to Oshodi on that sunny day. The passengers who were mostly traders were engrossed in sundry conversations when the conductor made an announcement in Yoruba: “Eni ba ni eti meji, ki o gbo o, moto yi o gba owo ati’jo o”( meaning: Whosoever has ears should listen. We do not collect old currency notes in this bus).

Residents of Oke-Afa, Isolo, are presently on a war path with armed robbers who they said have frequently launched attacks in the area, robbing them and also raping their women.

In what might appear as a curious coincidence, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has recently been featuring frequently in the news for the wrong reasons. At least for reasons other than that which informed it being set up by the Lagos State government. For instance a couple of weeks back two of its officials attached to the Iyana Ejigbo unit were involved in separate incidents that claimed the lives of a motorist and a motorcyclist.

It is widely believed that there is a time to be born and a time to die. The Chairman of Lagos University Teaching Hospital Medical Board, Dr Nurudeen Olowopopo obviously did not choose Sunday March 14, 2010 as a day to die but was found dead in his swimming pool.