Lagos tanker explosion: Mother frantic as three-year-old son, driver go missing

 

Eyit

As the smoke caused by Thursday’s tanker explosion on the Otedola Bridge begins to clear, scared and worried family members and friends, on Friday, besieged the scene of the accident, hysterically looking for their beloved ones that had not returned home.

While many continued to make frantic phone calls, trying to make contact and hungry for the minutest information, others took to social media, seeking information.

One of those anxious is the family of a three-year-old boy identified as Eyitayo.

Eyitayo, his mother, twin sister and their driver were driving home, and were right on the bridge when all hell broke loose.

In a post that has been trending since Friday morning, it was stated: “Eyitayo was involved in the unfortunate tanker accident with his mother, twin sister and their driver at Otedola Bridge yesterday evening. They were a few cars away from the tanker when the explosion occurred. The driver, Mr. Joseph, carried Eyitayo while the mother escaped with Eyitoke, Eyitayo’s twin. The where about of Eyitayo and Joseph is still unknown as all attempts to trace them at the scene of the accident proved abortive.”

The post came with a phone number, asking that anyone with information concerning Eyitayo and Joseph, should call.

Our correspondent called the phone number and Truecaller identified the owner of the phone number as Funmi Balogun. The receiver, who spoke in a tired and despairing voice, introduced herself as Aunt to the missing Eyitayo. She said that the mother of Eyitayo is her younger sister.

She explained: “I was not there when the incident happened. But my sister, the mother of the twins, told me that she grabbed the girl and escaped, while the driver carried Eyitayo and ran in another direction. The boy and the driver had not been found.”

Asked if the family of Joseph had been contacted, perhaps he went home with the little boy, Funmi said: “The driver didn’t get home last night. I’m sure he also had problem with the fire outbreak. The two of them are missing.”

A police source, who was part of the rescue team on Thursday and Friday, said: “The roads have been cleared and vehicles can now drive through. It’s likely that Isheri Police Station Accident Unit, will investigate the incident, to authenticate what really happened. They will be assisted by detectives from the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID). Secondly, many people besieged the scene of the accident today (Friday). They were all looking for their loved ones. There was a family there day; they had a twin, the mother was able to escape with one of the twins, while the driver went on a different direction with the second twin. The family is looking for the second twin and the driver.

“If worried family members are looking for their persons, Isheri Police Station, which is the nearest station, is where they should go to make a report. LASEMA should also be able to help with information on missing persons and other victims. LASEMA can provide information on where the injured and corpses were taken to. But most of the injured victims were taken to a government hospital at Yaba area.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chike Oti, when asked the latest information concerning the fleeing tanker driver and the company he works for, responded: “Everything is still under investigation.”

He, however, insisted that people looking for their beloved ones, should head to Isheri Police Station to lodge a complaint.