The female banker, accused of crushing an official of the Lagos State
Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, to death last Friday, on
Lekki/Ajah Expressway, has said she I innocent of the said offence.
The woman, Mrs. Yinka Johnson, a staff of a new generation bank, said
it was an on-coming commercial vehicle that ran over the man,
Hammed Balogun.
Mrs. Johnson, currently being detained at the State
Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Yaba, with her
three-month-old baby, expressed shock over what she termed a dramatic
twist in the case.
Although she admitted to have driven against traffic, she posited
that residents of Ikota Estate usually took the route because of the
on-going construction on the road. Mrs. Johnson, who spoke with
Vanguard, said the LASTMA official who apprehended her was different
from the one that was crushed to death.
She said: "I was discussing with one of the officials who stopped me
for driving against traffic when an on-coming vehicle crushed his
colleague, a few metres from where I stood, thereby causing commotion.
"I did not kill the LASTMA official. It is only God that will
vindicate me," she said, pointing out that immediately she was
accosted, a towing van was parked in front of her vehicle. "Tell me,
how is I possible for me to hit somebody with a towing van right in
front of me. I am innocent and should not be made to pay for a crime I
did not commit. We should all remember that God will judge us
accordingly." Police operatives kept mute when approached by
Vanguard as they referred our correspondent to the command's
spokesman, Ngozi Braide, who was not forthcoming on the matter.
But an eye-witnesses, who reportedly took shots of the accident
scene, claimed there was no dent on Mrs Johnson's green Landrover
Sport Utility Van with number-plate CY 276 LSD, neither was there
blood stain on it.
LASTMA General Manager, Mr. Babatunde Edu, had last Friday, in a
statement by his spokesman, Bola Ajao, said : "Balogun was this
morning, Friday, killed by a banker on the Lekki-Ajah Expressway while
carrying out his official assignment at his duty post at Mega City,
Ajah.
"The driver, whose identity was revealed by the Auto Inspector
device as Yinka Johnson, an employee of IBTC, drove in a green
Landrover Jeep with number-plate CY 276 LSD against traffic from Mega
Chicken inward toll plaza two.
"She was intercepted by three officials of LASTMA led by the Head of
Operations, Mr. Quayum Asafa, for traffic violation. Johnson started
driving recklessly to escape and in the process ran over the officer.
"Realising what she had done, she ran and escaped from the scene of
the incident into Ikota Estate, Ajah with the security men shutting
the gate , Mrs Johnson, as gathered, would be charged to court today.
