From David Ojo, Lagos
Lagos Bus Services Limited has suspended operations amid allegations that one of its buses was used in conveying thugs to Alausa to disrupt # EndSARS protests as seen in a viral video .
The Managing Director , LBSL, Mr . Idowu Oguntona , said contrary to reports , none of its buses was used in conveying thugs to disrupt protests .
Oguntona said what happened was that the bus was headed for Oshodi when some armed thugs alighted from a yellow commercial bus just next to the BRT .
He said in the process , many passengers got scared and began jumping out of the bus.
The MD stated that the thugs did not attack the bus but went their way while the BRT continued on its journey but unfortunately this was not captured in the video .
A statement signed by its Public Affairs Officer, Afolabi Olawale , read in part, “ While giving a background to the video , the Managing Director of LBSL, Mr . Idowu Oguntona, stated that bus 240171 in the video was heading towards Oshodi from Berger around 8 am when some armed individuals disembarked from a particular yellow vehicle in front of the bus at the Secretariat Bus Stop , on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway and headed towards the direction of the bus.
“One of our buses during the normal cause of operations ran into approaching armed people this morning . When the people were sighted armed and heading towards our bus, commuters in the bus scampered for safety due to the imminent danger . One of the passengers even tried to escape through the rear window of the bus.
“The armed group , whose identity remains unknown, later went their way without attacking the bus . In fact, all the passengers were eventually commuted safely to their destination at Oshodi .”
Oguntona added that it was quite disheartening that the incident was linked to the activities of some hoodlums .
The MD of the bus company said that in the interim , the company “is forced to suspend temporarily all bus operations for the safety of passengers and until it is safe to return to service . He pleaded for understanding from all esteemed passengers and reiterated the rights of people to peaceful protests and condemned any attack on people participating.”
