The tragic story of a young father who took his own life after government officials seized his tricycle and refused to return it has left the community in Ikorodu, Lagos State, in shock and mourning.
Thirty-two-year-old Chinedu Nwosu, a hardworking Keke Marwa operator, was the sole breadwinner for his wife and two young children. On Tuesday morning, he was intercepted by LASTMA officials while transporting a passenger to his destination. His tricycle, which he had purchased on credit just six months ago, was confiscated for an unspecified offense.
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Chinedu pleaded with the officials, explaining that the tricycle was his only source of income and that his family depended on him. He begged them to have mercy and return his Keke so he could continue providing for his loved ones. But the officials remained unmoved, insisting that the tricycle would only be released upon payment of a hefty fine.Distraught and desperate, Chinedu spent the next two days going back and forth to the LASTMA office, hoping to convince the authorities to show compassion.
He even offered to work off the fine by performing community service, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.On Thursday morning, Chinedu’s lifeless body was discovered hanging from a tree in front of the LASTMA office. A heartbreaking note was found in his pocket, addressed to his wife and children, apologizing for not being strong enough to keep fighting and for leaving them without a provide
COMMENTARIES:
@Ishowleck l Õmõ ìyá pùpá: “This Lastma people are evil and they are doing more damage than good on the roads. They are there to direct but instead they are always waiting for vehicles and keke to hold”.
Safety Cabal: “This is quite unfortunate and a preventable incidents. The enforcement agencies should also have some level of human empathy not just being stubborn and wicked some of the time”.
@addel_cares: “Anyone can actually become a victim in a failed system. If it doesn’t touch you, it might touch someone you know very well”.
@Jatiti_Of_Lagos: “The LASMA officers who approached me when I had a flat tire on the third mainland bridge were retired area boys and agberos. Instead of offering to assist with fixing the tire, they immediately demanded to tow my car to their office and insisted that I pay a fine of 70k. It was a frustrating and disappointing experience”.