Rita Odafe
, were also among the survivors.
A survivor of the tragic train-bus crash in Lagos State has recounted the horrific incident. The survivor, a civil servant who wished to remain unnamed, said that leaving her usual seat to sit with another colleague saved her life. “Where I normally seat in the bus was the point the train rammed into,” she said. The driver of the Lagos State government staff bus, Oluwaseun Osinbajo, has apologized for the accident and blamed it on a mechanical fault in the bus. However, survivors have stated that he had his earpiece on while driving and ignored the signalman at the rail line. He is currently undergoing several tests, including psychiatric, and authorities have said he will be prosecuted.
The survivor described her survival as a miracle, saying “I would have been one of those in the morgue.” Another survivor, Ope, said she woke up to shouts of ‘e ma lo, e duro’ (don’t go, wait). She said that the staff bus usually carries all Lagos State government employees living in Ikotun/Isolo area, regardless of department or agency, as long as they are headed for the secretariat. She added that she was jostled from sleep by the shouts before hearing a loud bang and being flung from her seat.
Other survivors taken to Orile Agege General Hospital on Thursday included Mr. Juwon Fagbohun, 27, from the Agency for Mass Education; Adesoji Ajibade of the Office of the Head of Service; Mariam Olayiwola, 18, from the Ministry of Health; Eniola Fashoyin, 53, from the Office of the Head of Service; Mrs. Adejoke Banjo, 42, from the Office of the Head of Service; Olaide Alabi, 21, a student on Industrial Attachment with the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Empowerment; Sekinat Ogunremi, 24, from the Ministry of Justice; Aishat Gbadegeshin, 25, from the Ministry of Establishment and Training; Ganiyat Raji from the Ministry of Science and Technology; and Mrs Oluwatoyin Abiodun, 46, a staff of the Ministry of Information and Strategy.
