A tricyclist, popularly called ‘Keke’, has reportely committed suicide in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State after failing to retrieve his seized tricycle by government agents.
The unidentified man was intercepted by officials who seized his tricycle and transported it to their office near Jubilee Estate along the Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway.
Despite persistent efforts by the tricyclist to retrieve his vehicle, it proved abortive. Frustrated by the situation, the man sought to protest the seizure.
Eyewitnesses told Punch that he hanged himself from a tree in front of the compound housing the offices of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO).
An eyewitness, Prince Excel of Aiyekooto Reporters, who captured the incident on video, described it as unfortunate, noting that the suicide occurred early Thursday morning.
A note accompanying Excel’s video indicated that the tricyclist took his life due to the authorities’ refusal to return his seized tricycle, despite his pleas.
The spokesperson for LASTMA, Taofiq Adebayo, however, denied any involvement of their officers in the seizure, stating that no tricycle was impounded within their premises in the area.
“We don’t know anything about the incident. LASTMA is not involved in anything of such, and we don’t know anything about the hanging of the dead body,” he said.
However, Olalekan Bakare-Oki the General Manager, LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, in a statement on Friday, debunked the reports that the agency was responsible for the death of the man.
“The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, wishes to debunk in no equivocal terms that its operatives are not responsible for the dead body found hanging by the gate of an Estate along Lagos – Shagamu Expreeway, Lagos,” the statement read in part,
“LASTMA hereby debunk rumours circulating on Social Media insinuating that the deceased’s vehicle was impounded by officers of the agency.
“The body was discovered early hour of yesterday (Thursday, 11th of July, 2004) by passersby and was immediately reported to the police at Shagamu Road.
“Several speculations were made by sympathisers present at the scene. “Some said he was dressed like a motorcyclist (Okada rider),while some speculated he was a tricyclist (Marwa rider).
“Some even believed he was brought to the scene by his killers during the wee hours of midnight, and stage managed it to give it the semblance of suicide, because the victim’s leg was touching ground.
“For brevity, no one could really identify him as either an Okada or Marwa rider from amongst several operators of Okada and Marwa who visited the scene.
“It is unfortunate that the incident occurred by an Estate gate along Lagos -Shagamu Expressway.”
