Falana Wants Govt To Probe Carnage

Human rights activist and lawyer, Barrister Femi Falana has called on the Lagos State government to institute a public inquiry into the multiple accident which occurred last Sunday near Otedola Millennium Estate along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway during which at least 30 people lost their lives.

Speaking with P.M.NEWS on the tragic incident this morning, Falana said the government owed it a duty to the dead, their families and Nigerians to institute an inquiry under the Commission of Inquiry Law of Lagos State with a view to finding out the immediate and the remote cause or causes of the unfortunate incident.

The Lagos lawyer threatened to mobilise the human rights community to take up the matter on behalf of the relations of the deceased if the Lagos State government fails to respond to his call.

According to Falana, “in view of the conflicting reports on the cause of the calamity, the Lagos State government owed it a duty to Nigerians and the dead, their families to institute a public inquiry under the Commission of Inquiry Law of Lagos State with a view to finding out the immediate and the remote cause of the unfortunate incident.

“Such a commission will have to recommend adequate financial compensation to the families of the deceased.

“Beyond that, the federal, Ogun, Lagos and Oyo governments should urgently mobilise security forces to remove without any further delay all obstructions whether mounted by the police or the FRSC on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. More importantly, all the heavy trucks and tankers parked permanently on the Ogere end of the expressway should also be removed without any further delay.

“It is also necessary that a flyover bridge be constructed from Redeemed Camp to join the highway so that the monthly obstruction on that end of the road can also be removed because so far, we have been lucky we’ve not had a fire incident where sometimes over 1,000 vehicles are parked on that road bumper to bumper during events that people are delayed on that road for 10 to 12 hours. It does not happen anywhere in the world.

“This is why I recently filed an action at the Federal High Court to compel the FRSC, the police and Bi-Courtney, that has been given concession on that road, to save the lives of Nigerians who ply that road.

“If the Lagos State government does not respond to my call, I am going to mobilise the human rights community to take up this matter on behalf of the relations of the deceased.”

—Lanre Babalola