A 25-year-old truck driver, Sunday Oyebode, was on Friday arraigned before an Apapa Magistrate’s Court for allegedly causing the death of a 35-year-old man and committing other offences in Apapa.
Oyebode is facing a three-count charge of manslaughter, causing accident and driving without driving license.
The prosecutor, Sergeant Marvellous Obongha, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on May 25, 2019 at about 2:30pm along Ijora Seven-Up flyover.
“The defendant being the driver in charge of Fiat Truck with registration number XA 315 LND, drove the said truck on a public highway recklessly or negligently or at a speed in a manner which is dangerous to the public.
“Having regards to all the circumstances of the case including the nature, condition and the use of the highway and to the amount of which might reasonably be expected to be on highway ran into one Abdul-Rasheed Sakariyat aged 35 years, as a result which the victim died while receiving treatment at the General Hospital, Marina, Lagos,” Obongha said.
The prosecutor also said that the defendant drove the said truck and damaged a Toyota Camry car with registration number LND 416 FK, model 2017 driven by one Habeeb Abdullahi, property of NIPCO Plc.
Obongha said the defendant drove the truck without a driving license.
According to him, the offences are punishable under sections 20, 19 and 7(1) of the Road Traffic Act, Law of Lagos State 2012.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties each in like sum by Magistrate Aisha Shittabey.
The Magistrate ordered that the case file be duplicated and sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.
The sureties are required to furnish the court with evidence of tax payment to Lagos State Government.
One of the sureties, according to the Magistrate, must be a paternal relation to the defendant and both sureties must show proof of gainful employment.
She adjourned the case till July 9, 2019 for mention.
The owner of the truck, Owolabi Joel, was also arraigned before the court for allegedly handing over his truck to an unlicensed driver.
Joel is facing a three-count charge of handing over truck to unlicensed driver, lack of insurance certificate and lack of valid vehicle license on the truck.
The prosecutor, Sergeant Marvellous Obongha, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on May 25, 2019 at about 2:30pm along Ijora Seven-Up flyover.
“The defendant being the owner of Fiat Truck with registration number XA 315 LND handed over the said truck to an unlicensed driver, Sunday Oyebode, who used the said truck to cause an accident on Ijora-Apapa public highway,” Obongha said.
The prosecutor also said that the defendant operated the said truck on a public highway for commercial purposes without an insurance certificate and valid vehicle license as the license of the vehicle expired since December 21, 2018.
According to him, the offences are punishable under sections 4(1), 17 and 14(1) of the Road Traffice Act, Law of Lagos State 2012.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. Magistrate Aisha Shittabey granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum.
The surety is required to furnish the court with evidence of three years tax payment to Lagos State Government.
She also adjourned the case till July 9, 2019 for mention.