A yet-to-be-identified tricyclist reportedly took his own life on Thursday, July 11, 2024, after allegedly failing to retrieve his seized tricycle from government agents.
According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred in the early hours of the morning along the Sagamu Road, in front of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) gate at the Jubilee Estate in Ikorodu.
Prince Excel, an eyewitness, recorded a video and shared it on WhatsApp, stating, "This is early Thursday morning, July 11, 2024, an unfortunate situation just happened right now. A man just committed suicide on the major road at the Jubilee Estate in front of the LASTMA gate on the Sagamu Road. This is quite unfortunate."
However, in a statement released on Friday, LASTMA has categorically denied any involvement in the incident, stating that its operatives were not responsible for the dead body found hanging by a tree in the area.
"The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) wishes to debunk in no equivocal terms that its operatives are not responsible for the dead body found hanging by the gate of an Estate along Lagos – Shagamu Expressway, Lagos," said Adebayo Taofiq, the spokesperson for the agency.
LASTMA further explained that while they confirmed the discovery of the deceased's body in the early hours of Thursday, they were unable to identify him as either an Okada (motorcycle) or tricycle rider, as there were several such operators in the area.