CITIZENS COMPASS- TWO pupils of a Lagos-based school have been presumed dead while others were reportedly in a critical condition after suffocating in their school bus around Aguda axis, Surulere Local Government of the state.
As gathered, the pupils were said to be hospitalized at Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Idi-Araba and Randle hospital in Surulere.
Meanwhile, the bus driver, identified as Odunsa Mandala, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for interrogation following the incident.
Sources said that the driver was returning the pupils to their various homes after academic activities when the incident occurred in Surulere.
It was learnt that the pupils repeatedly complained to him about how uncomfortable they felt in the bus but they were ignored.
Mandala, was said to have ignored them until most of the students on the bus had suffocated and passed out, a development that was said to have been realized very late by the driver.
On noticing the state of the pupils, he was said to have raised an alarm and the pupils were rushed to the hospitals but this was too late.
Confirming the tragedy on Saturday, the Command spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said that the incident occurred yesterday and that the driver has been arrested and was currently being interrogated, to ascertain what transpired before the incident.
In a statement released through his social media handle, he said: “Yes, the driver has been arrested but the young souls are already gone, sadly so. A school bus driver ignored repeated complaints from the kids he was taking home that they were not feeling well. Some of the kids went unconscious, and two eventually died.
“Schools need to up their game in recruitment and pay more attention to job fit. Parents too need to do thorough background checks of schools and crèches before entrusting their kids into their care'< it added.
The police spokesperson, disclosed that the relevant regulatory agencies in Lagos have been notified of this act of gross negligence. Security is everyone’s business.
–The Guild
