There is pervasive mourning at Myhoung Barracks in Yaba, Lagos, as a driver rammed his car through soldiers who were on the bi-annual route march, killing an army officer and injuring scores of others.
According to eyewitnesses account of the accident: there was a sudden loud bang. A violent shove from behind, a push back with a loud clatter in front.
The witnesses said the driver, suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, lost control of the vehicle and plowed into over 100 soldiers and civilians at approximately 7 a.m on Friday.
The impact was said to have caused the female officer to be thrown into the air before she landed with fatal injuries, while other soldiers and bystanders suffered varying degrees of harm.
The driver’s car was said to have violently hit the dead soldier’s head against the ground upon impact.
The incident was confirmed by Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lt. Col. Olabisi Ayeni, who said the deceased soldier’s body has been transferred to a mortuary, while the injured personnel are receiving medical treatment at the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Yaba.
Going by the suddenness of the accident and marching crowd of soldiers involved, the scene was particularly gruesome.
An officer who survived the accident saaid: “I saw the car approaching and managed to jump out of the way. He could see us marching but behaved like a suicide bomber—he was speeding recklessly.”
The obviously enraged soldiers were said to have severely beaten the driver before he was taken into custody, while his passenger was detained in a military guardroom.
Indeed, at least 18 soldiers were severely injuried, including broken arms and legs, necessitating their immediate evacuation to the army hospital for medical attention.
Authorities are expected to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident to determine the exact circumstances leading to the tragedy.
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