One Feared Dead, Others Injured As SUV Rams Into Children In Lagos

One child was feared dead on Sunday while four others sustained severe injuries after a Lexus SUV rammed into a group of children in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said the incident occurred at about 2:31 p.m. at No. 1, Wole Olateju Crescent, Kingshisha, Lekki Phase 1, off Admiralty Road, within Eti-Osa Local Government Area.

According to a statement signed by the Controller General of the service, Margaret Adeseye, firefighters from the Oniru Fire Station were immediately deployed to the scene following a distress call.

Preliminary reports indicated that a Lexus RX 300 Jeep with registration number GGE 750BM allegedly lost control while overspeeding and ran into five male children aged between eight and 13 years who were standing at the gate of the premises.

Four of the children were rescued alive but sustained severe injuries and were rushed to an undisclosed hospital by sympathisers. However, one nine-year-old boy was suspected to have died at the scene.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the vehicle (Lexus Jeep), while allegedly over speeding, lost control and ran into five male children aged between everyone eight and 13 years who were at the gate of the above-mentioned address.

“Four of the victims were rescued alive but sustained severe injuries and were subsequently conveyed to an undisclosed hospital by sympathisers. One male child, aged nine years, was suspected dead at the scene,” the statement read.

The affected vehicle was later evacuated by a private towing company and taken to the Maroko Police Station.

Officers from the Maroko Police Division were present at the scene and have commenced investigation into the incident.

In a related development, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service also rescued two adult men trapped inside a broken-down fuel tanker in Apapa on the same day.

The service said firefighters from the Ajegunle Fire Station responded to a distress call at about 4:47 p.m. concerning the tanker, which broke down opposite an Ecobank branch in Apapa.

On arrival, two adult males were found trapped inside the tanker while carrying out repair work.

Fire service personnel successfully extricated the men alive and handed them over to medical responders, who conveyed them to a hospital for further treatment.