A Bus Rapid  Transit, BRT, driver, Collins Nnodi escaped on Monday after crushing a Lagos businesswoman to death in Ikorodu area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The woman was later identified as Mrs Grace Okeleke.

The tragic incident happened at Agric Bus Stop, in Ikorodu on Monday. Grace is said to be the wife of Head of Public Relations, Globacom, Andrew Okeleke.

 She was said to have attempted to cross the road after being dropped off by her driver around 7.20pm, when Nnodi, who was driving a bus with number plate EPE 59 XR, knocked her down and she died on the spot. Angry mob vandalised the BRT bus after the driver fled. The deceased was said to be a minister at the Redeemed Christian Church of God. 

According to a statement from the family, “The death has been announced of Mrs Grace Okeleke, wife of the Head, Public Relations, Globacom, Mr Andrew Okeleke. “Mrs Okeleke died in a motor accident on the Lagos Road, Ikorodu, on Monday evening.

She was hit by a Lagos BRT bus with number plate EPE 59 XR.” The statement said the deceased was crossing the road after being dropped off by her driver just after the Agric bus stop, inwards Ketu, where there was no pedestrian bridge, when she was hit by the BRT bus and died on the spot before she could be taken to hospital. 

According to the statement, the late Okeleke, a businesswoman, hailed from Issele-Mkpitime, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. She was until her demise a top leader of her town’s women group in Lagos as well as a minister of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Grace Hall Parish, Ikorodu.“Mrs Okeleke is survived by her husband and children.

Burial arrangements will be announced later by her family.” When contacted, the Chief Security Officer, Primero Transport Services Limited, the franchise holder of the BRT buses, Cletus Okodolor, while commiserating with the family, condemned Nnodi for abandoning Grace at the scene of the accident. 

Okodolor said, “We sympathise with the family and we are shocked at the action of the busman. The accident involved one of our buses, with number 344. The bus was coming from Ikorodu inwards Mile 12, and she was trying to cross to the other side of the road without actually looking properly; she entered the BRT corridor to cross and there was contact.

“The woman died on the spot. But the bus man did not help matters, because he drove off out of fear of being hurt and refused to put us in the picture. Suddenly, we started getting calls that an angry mob was vandalising our vehicles, because one of our buses knocked someone down on the corridor and we quickly informed the Traffic Division of the Owutu Police Station and its personnel were dispatched in the area.”