Funke Busari, Lagos
When 20 passengers set out to journey from Kirikiri to Badagry in Lagos July this year, they had no inkling that an alleged deliberate act of the driver of a commercial boat with inscription ‘Mount Zion Transport’, would be a disastrous one and led to the death of 12 persons on board.
This is the narrative by the Lagos State Police boss, CP Hakeem Odumosu on Tuesday while parading parading suspects.
He explained that Elebiju, a commercial boat driver stopped the boat on the waterway where a big ship passed and stirred the water, creating a wave that drifted the boat to a stationary barge and the boat capsized along Kirikiri waterfront.
CP Odumosu said the incident was caused by a deliberate act of the driver while speaking on the incident.
He told journalists that the suspected killer driver, Elebiju Bimbo who caused the incident for a mere three hundred naira fare difference, however swam to safety.
According to the CP, “There was an argument between the deckhand (conductor) and the passengers as to the transport fare. The driver insisted on 1,500 naira per passenger and the passengers said they will only pay 1,200 naira each.”
“Because of the 300 naira difference, the driver turned off the boat engine on a turbulent waterfront.”
Thereafter, on July 29, 2020 at about 1745hours, the CP said his men responded to the distress call where five passengers were rescued, 12 corpses were recovered while three persons are still missing.
He said the driver will be charged to Court.
