Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola has condemned Friday's mayhem at Palmgrove area on Ikorodu Road in which irate soldiers allegedly set ablaze eight BRT and Lagbus buses and unleashed terror on residents of the area.
Reacting to the development on Friday at the State House, Ikeja, Fashola said he had been in touch with the Brigade Commander who assured him that he was managing the situation.
The governor said he had not verified the information and that he was waiting for formal report before he could ventilate his position, but noted that if what he heard was true, the soldiers acted irresponsibly, while the act should be condemned.
"There is allegation that someone who was not suppose to be on the BRT route was on it. As far I know, if something happens to you while you are conducting an unlawful act, it is criminal offense in its own sense.
"But it is really disappointing that public servants and that is what soldiers are, paid with tax payer's money, will act in a manner that is being suggested because I am waiting for official report to let me know who played what role and what happened and whether the brigade commander has been able to identify the people who committed the offense," he said.
He recalled that in 2006, soldiers burnt down a police barrack which cost the state government lots of money to rebuild, saying that setting BRT buses on fire was a debilitating act.
"I remember in 2006 when soldiers stormed barracks and set the place ablaze, that is the Area 'C' Police Command. We just managed to reconstruct the command. If buses that citizens are complaining are not enough are set ablaze, I do not know how setting ablaze buses recompense any injury that one may have suffered.
"I do not know how damaging public property is the restitution for the any injury that may have come. For now, the only thing that I can say to you is that when I get the full fact, I will address the residents, to let them know what happened and what the state's action will be.
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Howver, the LAGBUS Asset Management Limited, operators of LAGBUS, on Friday, said contrary to claims by soldiers and reports, it was not a BRT bus that killed a soldier.
The death of the soldier drew angst from raging soldiers, who burnt BRT buses said to be worth about N100 million, and beat up the bus drivers and witnesses of their rampage.
Explaining the accident, Abiodun Apata, Project Manager, Mutual Model Transports, one of the LAGBUS Franchises, said the company only found a corpse after an eventful night and went to report it to the police.
"By 10 p.m. last night, one of our buses broke down at Onipanu; by 11 p.m.,
a rescue team with a van went to the scene to tow the bus.
"Unfortunately, area boys started stoning our team which made our men to leave. Meanwhile, the driver put on hazard lights and C- Caution to alert motorists of the breakdown.
"By 5am this morning, before the rescue team got to the scene, a corpse had been deposited in our bus and a motorcycle parked behind it.
"When we saw it, we reported the case to the Pedro Police Station, Somolu, but before we got back to the scene, soldiers had burnt down five BRT buses and one belonging to LAGBUS.
The Head of Operations of BRT, Johnson Oguntade, said BRT vehicles have been withdrawn from the streets to prevent more damage.
He said the deceased soldier was not hit by a BRT vehicle
"I do not still understand why we are suffering for what we never caused.
Why they are burning our buses is not known," Mr. Oguntade said.
LAGBUS also withdrew its buses from the roads following the burning of the buses by raging soldiers.
The buses were attacked by soldiers, who were protesting the death of an army corporal who was allegedly riding a motorbike near the Palmgrove Bus Stop on the Ikorodu Road, Lagos.
Mr. Apata said that the attack was unfortunate, adding that the luxury buses were withdrawn to avert more damage.
The alleged accident and withdrawal of the luxury buses left thousands of commuters stranded and crippled commercial activities on Ikorodu
road.
The developments also resulted in traffic gridlock.
Some of the vehicles set ablaze had been towed, while the others are still at the scene as at the time of this report..
Commercial bus operators exploited the situation to increase fares by about 50 per cent.
No BRT ticket vendors were seen at the vehicles shelters.
