Several feared dead as truck rams into schoolchildren in Lagos

Several schoolchildren are feared dead after a truck rammed into some students in the Ojodu area of Lagos State.

The incident occurred at Grammar School Bus-Stop along the Ogunusi Road on Tuesday afternoon when schoolchildren were returning to their respective homes.

It was gathered that the driver of the vehicle lost control before hitting the unspecified number of students.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Hakeem Odumosu, confirmed the incident.

Although he said two students have been killed so far and others injured, eyewitnesses at the scene gave conflicting accounts.

While some claimed about 13 students were feared dead, others said 17 schoolchildren died.

They were said to have been crushed while waiting to cross to the other side of the road.

The truck driver, the police commissioner explained, attempted to escape after hitting the schoolchildren.

But the driver was later arrested by operatives attached to the Divisional Police Headquarters in Ojodu who went after him after he fled the scene.

Upon his arrest, a mob tried to lynch the driver but they were resisted by the police who took him into custody.

Angered by the action of the security operatives, the crowd began to pelt the police van conveying the driver.

This led to tension and panic in the area, causing a gridlock while the police reportedly fired teargas to disperse the crowd.

The situation was later brought under control.