Apapa Ports: Truck crushes two to death in alleged extortion attempt

A truck loaded with plywood caused a fatal accident in Apapa, Lagos, on Tuesday, killing two people. The incident occurred around 2:20 p.m. at the Diamond Tank Junction on Creek Road. According to an eyewitness, Joseph Agha, the truck driver lost control while attempting a U-turn near the MSC company premises.

Agha stated that officers, allegedly from Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) security and the Port Police, attempted to stop the truck. He claimed these officers typically collect money from trucks passing the junction. As the driver tried to pull over, the securing belts holding the plywood cargo snapped under the strain, causing the driver to lose control.

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An NPA officer and police officers were trying to stop him. Normally, they still collect money from any truck passing that junction, depending on whether it’s a flatbed, empty container, or export.

The truck collided heavily with a concrete culvert, and the plywood load collapsed onto the roadway, instantly killing two people. The driver and his assistant fled the scene immediately after the crash. Officials from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) arrived, secured the area, and managed the traffic.

LASTMA personnel removed the truck and cleared the fallen timber. As of the time of filing the report, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki had not issued an official statement regarding the incident or the eyewitness's claims about alleged demands by security personnel. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fatal crash.

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The plywood suddenly cut the belts when the driver was trying to manage the steering and attend to them as they were stopping him. That’s when the driver lost control.