Vehicle driven by father who plunged into Lagoon with 11-yr old daughter found (Photo)

                                                                 

A middle-aged man, Mr. Sunday Megba, and his 11-year-old daughter, Lola, died on Tuesday after their vehicle plunged into a river at the Ikota end of the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos

Emergency officials told Punch Metro that Sunday, his wife, Sade, and Lola were on their way from a vigil in a Toyota 4Runner Sport Utility Vehicle with number plate, DN866JJJ, when the vehicle somersaulted several times.

Sade was said to have fallen out of the vehicle in the process, while the other two occupants fell into the river and drowned.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the driver, who was a trader in Lekki, lost control shortly before the accident.

Although the actual cause of the accident remained contentious, it was learnt that the police were working on the theory that Sunday dozed off while driving.

It was learnt that immediately after the vehicle plunged into the river, a local diver, Francis Agbogbo, jumped into the water in a bid to save the victims.

It was learnt that by the time Agbogbo was able to get to the victims, they had already drowned.

The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Femi Oke-Osayintolu, toldPUNCH Metro that the incident occurred around 1am.

He said, “After the vehicle plunged into the river, the surviving victim (Sade) began screaming for help and one Francis Agbogbo jumped into the water in a bid to rescue the victims; but unfortunately, they had lost their lives

"When LASEMA officials arrived at the scene, we were able to recover the bodies and with the help of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, we were able to recover the vehicle several hours later.

“The bodies have been deposited in a mortuary, while the injured woman is receiving treatment. The vehicle has been handed over to the Ajah Police Division.