Lagos Marwa operator kills self over tricycle seizure

A yet-to-be-identified tricyclist has killed himself after efforts to retrieve his seized tricycle from some government agents proved abortive in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

It was learnt that the tricyclist was heading to a destination when the officials intercepted him for an offence.

Following the interception, the officers reportedly seized the tricycle and took it to their office located close to the Jubilee Estate, on the Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway.

Efforts by the tricycle operator to retrieve his tricycle from the officials were said to have been futile.

Perplexed by the development, the tricyclist, in an apparent effort to protest the seizure of his tricycle, went to a tree at the front of the fence of the compound where the offices of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and Vehicle Inspection Officers are situated, close to the Jubilee Estate, on the Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway, and hanged himself.

An eyewitness, Prince Excel of Aiyekooto Reporters, in a video posted on WhatsApp, described the case as unfortunate, noting that the man killed himself on Thursday morning.

He said, “This is early Thursday morning, July 11, 2024, an unfortunate situation just happened right now. A man just committed suicide on the major road at the Jubilee Estate infront of the LASTMA gate on the Sagamu Road. This is quite unfortunate.”

In the video, our correspondent observed that the man’s corpse was hung on a tree with a rope tied around his neck.

A note attached to Excel’s video alleged that the tricyclist committed the act because efforts to retrieve his seized tricycle proved abortive.

The note read, “A tricyclist, Keke Marwa rider, just committed suicide. He hanged himself in front of LASTMA’s office at Odogunyan in Ikorodu.

“Reportedly, his Keke was taken from him. He begged them (for) so long but they refused. So, the man decided to hang himself in front of their (office). So sad.”

The spokesperson for LASTMA, Taofiq Adebayo, when contacted, said the agency did not know anything about the case, adding that no tricycle was seized by any of the officers working under the agency in the area.

“We don’t know anything about the incident. And within our premises, we don’t have any tricycle impounded by any of our officers in that area. So, LASTMA is not involved in anything of such, and we don’t know anything about the hanging of the dead body,” Adebayo said.