24th July, 2012
A BRT driver, Shakiru Olatilewa, has been docked at an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court sitting at Abule Egba on a four-count charge of dangerous driving leading to the death of a 60-year old businessman, Lawrence Olu Fakolade, driving without a valid driver’s licence and driving a vehicle without certificate of road worthiness.
The police prosecutor said that Olatilewa drove the BRT bus dangerously along Meiran road and crushed to death Fakolade, a building contractor and Managing Director of a block industry at Ajibawo Village, Ogun State.
P.M.NEWS learnt that an angry mob at the scene of the accident set the BRT bus ablaze.
Olatilewa was later arrested by policemen from Oko-Oba Police State.
The Divisional Police Officer of Oko-Oba, Woman CSP Omolara Oloruntola ordered the case to be charged to court.
The charge against the BRT driver reads: “That you, Olatilewa, in Ikeja Magisterial District drove a BRT vehicle on a public highway and caused the death of Mr. Lawrence Oludare Fakolade, 60, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 28 of Road Traffic Act, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.”
When the charge was read to him, Olatilewa pleaded not guilty.
The trial magistrate Mr. A. O. Komolafe admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The sureties must show evidence of tax payment and their addresses will be verified by the court bailiff.
The case has been adjourned till 22 August, 2012 for mention.
—Yusuf Muhammed