SAD:- Truck Crushes 10-Year-Old Pupil In Lagos (Photo)

Tragedy struck on the Ireshe Road, Ikorodu
area of Lagos State when a 10-year-old pupil
of Anglican Primary School, Ikorodu, Toheeb
Abdullahi, was crushed to death by a truck.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim’s skull
was smashed by the rear tire of the truck
carrying crates of Pepsi soft drinks.
An eyewitness, Suraju Sumonu, said the police
had seized his motorcycle on the fateful
Tuesday afternoon when he saw the incident.
He said, “The kids were coming back from
school when the rough edge of the Pepsi truck
hooked the boy’s shirt.
“There was traffic on the road, so the driver of
the truck did not know what had happened. He
drove forward without knowing the boy had
fallen on the ground and his head close to the
tyre.
“The truck broke the boy’s skull. It was such a
gory sight that people had to quickly cover the
dead body with cardboards.”
Our correspondent learnt that policemen
attached to the Igbogbo division arrived at the
scene and arrested the driver of the truck.
The truck was also taken into the station, which
was not far from the scene of the incident.
When PUNCH Metro visited the residence of the
boy’s parents on Gbadamoshi Street in the
Itupate community, he met the victim’s parents
with a group of sympathisers.
Toheeb’s mother, Taiwo, was observing her
prayers when our correspondent entered the
house.
She later explained that her son, who was in
primary five, died due to the careless attitude of
the school driver.
She said, “That day, he went to centre, where
they usually teach them technical skills. The
place is at Itaelewa.
“The usual thing was that the driver that the
school employed would carry them from the
centre back to the school, from where they
would find their way back to their parents’
home.
“That day, there was no teacher with them in
the bus. The driver then decided to drop them
on the main road and asked them to trek into
the school compound which was a few
kilometres away.”
The victim’s father, Salami, while fighting back
tears, said he had resolved with his wife not to
seek redress in court.
He lamented that the firm, which owned the
truck, had yet to pay them a condolence visit.
“My boy was a very intelligent boy, as well as
a devoted muslim. He was my second child.
“I was at work on the Lagos Island when I
received the news. When I visited the police
station, I was told the truck driver was in the
cell. But let them release him, we have taken
this as our fate,” he added.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Toheeb was formerly
attending a private school in the area, but his
parents withdrew him two months ago and
enrolled him in a public school.
It was learnt that the reason was to ease his
admission into a government secondary school.
An official of the SevenUp Bottling Company
Plc, bottler of Pepsi, who declined identification,
denied the allegation that the company did not
show any concern.
“The company was fully involved in the boy’s
burial. They are Muslims and the boy had to be
buried immediately. We foot the bill 100 per
cent.
“About N100,000 was paid for the burial and
we also paid them a visit yesterday (Saturday),
barely a week after the incident happened. The
truck, as I speak with you, is still in the custody
of the police,” he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth
Nwosu, confirmed the incident.
He said, “I can confirm to you that one Toheeb
Abdullahi, aged 10 years, was crushed to death
by a truck. Investigations are already ongoing
into the matter.”
Source:- Punch NG