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| Lagos CP, Umar Manko |
In what seems to have gradually become the norm of recent, the rumour mill was agog yesterday especially on the social network sites that a fully loaded commercial bus had plunged into the Lagos Lagoon.
The residents of Lagos had woken up to be dished with the rumour that a commercial bus alongside the driver, conductor and passengers had drowned at the Adekunle end of the Third Mainland Bride, after their bus plunged into the lagoon.
Expectedly, the rumour incited panic amongst the populace who took to the social media to express their fears, prompting emergency services to storm the purported accident scene for rescue operations to begin.
In a swift reaction, the police and the personnel of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), issued a disclaimer, stressing that no such incident happened having visited the scene of the purported accident.
THISDAY gathered from eyewitness account that it was only the commercial bus conductor that fell into the lagoon at the impact of the crash, although rescue team made up of local divers and fishermen rescued him almost immediately.
It would be recalled that recently, Lagosians were inundated with the gripping news that a fully-loaded Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), operated by the Lagos State Government, had also plunged into the Lagos lagoon, killing all passengers on board.
When contacted, the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, Chukwuma Ozoani, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said the claims were false.
He said, "I put a call through to the divisional police officer, Adekunle Division and he confirmed that no such incident happened as being speculated in the social media.
"According to him, the door of the commercial bus heading towards the Adekunle end of Third Mainland bridge fell off and to avoid it, the car behind the bus swerved and hit another car and the bus.
"What actually happened was that the impact at which the saloon car hit the commercial bus, the conductor of the bus fell off and plunged into the lagoon."
He however maintained that prompt rescue efforts by bystanders saved the life of the commercial bus driver who was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for first aid treatment, adding that no life was lost.
Similarly, when contacted, NEMA Spokesperson, South-west Zone, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, allayed fears stressing that the report was a false alarm.
Although the agency had earlier reported on its website that two vehicles had plunged into the lagoon, it however quickly added that their emergency services were heading to confirm the authenticity of the story.
According to Farinloye, the agency received the distress call and they mobilised its officers to the scene but they got there, only to discover how untrue the story was.
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