Family Blames LASTMA Over Death Of Lagos Motorist

By Felix Kuyinu

The family of a motorist, Aisha Ibrahim, who died after her car plunged into the Third Mainland Bridge, has blamed the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, over the fatal incident.

Sources in the family disclosed that emergency rescuers which included LASTMA, and marine agencies failed to get into the lagoon to rescue the 27-year-old victim hours after the incident.

The respondents held that the situation remained unchanged untill the father of the deceased eventually negotiated with local divers who demanded N400,000 before diving in.

Aunt to the victim, Hadiza Oyewunmi said, “Only after the payment did they retrieve her body.

“It was her father who eventually negotiated with local divers. They demanded N400,000 before diving in. Officials from LASTMA and the marine police kept saying they were making calls, but no one went into the lagoon.”

Oyewunmi recounted the incident saying, “She {the deceased} called her mother around 1am to say she would be home in 20 minutes.

“By 2am, her phone was unreachable. By 4am, her mother became worried, and by 6am, her elder sister and mother set out to look for her.”

“We made way to the Island and saw emergency officials and bystanders gathered near the bridge,” she continued.

“When we stopped, we were told there had been an accident. The car’s bumper was visible, and when they checked the plate number, it matched hers,” Ms Oyewumi said.

“She was a resident in Gbagada and was returning from an event in Ikoyi where she worked as a vendor when the crash occurred. Her body was recovered between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, nearly half a day after the accident and has been buried immediately according to Islamic rites.

When asked about the personality of Ibrahim, Oyewunmi said, “she was a promising entrepreneur with high aspirations”.