Tanker crushes three scooping oil, injures one in Lagos

Pregnant woman rescued from kidnappers, gives birth after forced labour 

Three men were yesterday crushed to death and one other injured as they were scooping vegetable oil from a fallen tanker at the Odongunyan area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The deceased and injured persons were scooping the oil into their own containers when the fallen tanker’s head suddenly upturned and crushed them to death. While the bodies of the deceased have been taken to the mortuary, the injured woman was taken to the hospital for treatment.

It was gathered that residents of the area had initially rushed to the scene thinking the fallen tanker was laden with petroleum products, but when they discovered it was vegetable oil, most of them left disappointed. However, there were yet others who were determined to scoop the products not minding that it was cooking oil.

While the scooping was on, the tanker, which was detached from its head, gave way without any warning and fell on them.In another development, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) at Badagry yesterday rescued a pregnant woman who was kidnapped by two men. Unfortunately hours after she was rescued, she died in the hospital haven gone into emergency labour.

The officials had intercepted the kidnappers in a vehicle with registration number KTU356CE coming to Lagos from Cotonou, Benin Republic. Her cries for help attracted other motorists and the FRSC officials and they gave chase until they caught up with them near a fuel station.

Afterwards, she was rushed to Ola-Oki Hospital at Ibereko, where she was delivered of a baby boy through Cesarean operation.Meanwhile, at the scene where the FRSC officials caught up with the kidnappers, an angry mob descended on the suspects, beat them up and would have set them ablaze but for soldiers from the Ibereko barrack.

The soldiers put a stop to the mob action, dispersed the crowd and handed over the suspects to the Badagry Police Division. Confirming the incident, Lagos State police spokesman, SP Chike Oti, however, said it was not a case of kidnapping but that of ‘one-chance’ robbers.

He said: “It is not a case of kidnapping but that of ‘one-chance’. She had some goods, boarded a vehicle to convey her to her location but along the line, they wanted to rob her. She raised an alarm and the robbers afraid that they might run into trouble with security operatives, pushed her off the vehicle.

“Unknown to them, people heard the woman’s screams and saw her when she fell from the vehicle. They pursued the vehicle, caught up with the robbers and attacked them. The woman was picked up and rushed to hospital by FRSC officials and she was delivered of her baby through surgery.

“Soldiers intervened and stopped the mob from killing the suspects. The soldiers contacted the police and handed over the suspects to the police. They are currently at an undisclosed hospital.”