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A video showing the moment two officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency were almost knocked down by a driver they planned to arrest has made the rounds on social media.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver was to be arrested for driving on the lane dedicated to Bus Rapid Transit BRT.
The erring driver instead of stopping his car, drove like he was about to hit the LASMA officers. They had no choice but to run for their lives.
A gun has been recovered from an unregistered vehicle which was impounded by men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority for driving against traffic in the state.
This was made known in a press release by the general manager, Bolaji Oreagba and signed by the Director, Public Affairs Department, Adebayo Taofiq on Thursday.
Oreagba disclosed that the impounded unregistered vehicle; a black Honda was apprehended by the patrol team of the agency while driving against traffic around Sangotedo inward Abijo G.R.A along Lagos-Epe Expressway.
The Lagos state government has denied reports claiming it has barred men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) from arresting erring motorists in the state.
Reports that traffic officials have been barred from arresting drivers who contravene traffic laws in the state went viral some days ago.
However, a statement released by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the reports are untrue and that LASTMA officials will continue to discharge its duty of ensuring the free flow of traffic and enforcing the laws against violators of road traffic regulations.
”The motoring public is, therefore, advised to ignore the fake news trending on some social media platforms that the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has warned LASTMA officials not to arrest any motorist.
‘The statement purported to have emanated from Mr. Governor reads:
“Henceforth, no LASTMA Official should arrest any motorist, either commercial or private. The duty of LASTMA is to manage traffic and not to arrest anyone. I have heard a lot of complaints, any official that violates the rule will be severely dealt with”, which is untrue and a mere fabrication.
This fake news which has been debunked severally before it resurfaced on social media platforms, was ostensibly designed to pitch the public, especially motorists, against officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority.
For the avoidance of doubt, the State Government is not contemplating the withdrawal of the power to enforce traffic law against erring motorists, as it believed that public education and enlightenment should be complemented by the enforcement of rules and regulations to ensure sanity on our roads.” the statement read in part
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has sought to collaborate with the Public Complaints Commission for sustainable peace in the State.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, made this call on Wednesday during a courtesy visit of the Commission to the LASTMA Headquarters in Oshodi, Lagos State.
This was contained in a statement by LASTMA’s Director, Public Affairs Unit, Adebayo Taofiq, made available to The PUNCH on Thursday.
Oreagba said,
“We are ready to cooperate with the Commission during investigation on any complaints from the public and information sharing where necessary”
“We wish to add by informing well meaning and concern Lagos residents and motorists that we have various windows through which complaints can be channelled for prompt action.
“Such complaints sent via any of the above window shall be investigated dispassionately with despatch.”
During his presentation, the Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission Hon. Hafeez Adekunle Odunewu, said the Commission aims at correcting administrative anomalies in the discharge of public functions as they affect the citizens and residents between person(s) to person(s), especially on administrative procedure that can cause injustice within the administrative jurisdiction.
He commended the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority LASTMA for effectively discharging it’s statutory responsibilities.
A police officer has come under fire on social media, after he revealed that he escaped arrest for breaking a road traffic law when the LASTMA official realised he is a policeman. Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi tweeted:
“I was driving today in abuja, and one road safety officer who wanted to arrest me for using phone, heard me instructing the DPO to put one person in d cell, he just saluted me, and passed me.
“This is to say ‘to every rule, there must be an exception to save some situations’. Lol.”
His tweet generated mixed reactions, with many accusing him of boasting about getting away with impunity.
Many pointed out that regular citizens would have been arrested and fined for using a phone while driving but the officer was exempted and he still went online to talk about it.
They also questioned why the LASTMA official didn’t carry out his duties without fear or favour.
See some reactions below.
An official of the Lagos State Traffiic Management Authority (LASTMA) identified as Jamiu Issa has been crushed to death by an unknown driver in Lekki-Ajah area of the state.
Olumide Filade, the spokesperson for the agency, confirmed the development to journalists on Wednesday.
According to him, the driver flouted traffic regulations and rammed into Issa who wanted to apprehend him for the offence.
He noted that the victim was rushed to the hospital where he later gave us the ghost.
“It was reported that Issa was knocked down and run over by the traffic law offender. Issa’s colleague at the scene of the event quickly put a call through to the zonal head while some good Samaritans/eyewitnesses pursued the escaping Sienna driver to the Chevron Waterfront area where he was eventually apprehended and taken first to Ilasan police station, and eventually to Ajiwe police station, under which jurisdiction the event happened for proper investigation.
“The driver of a green Toyota Sienna vehicle, with number plate, FST 901 AR, knocked down and ran over a LASTMA official, Jamiu Issa, who was later confirmed dead, on April 19, 2022.
“The late Issa was said to have approached and accosted the Sienna vehicle driver who was driving against the direction of flow of traffic, facing oncoming vehicles from Chevron towards the Conservation Toll Plaza.
“Also, according to other eyewitnesses’ accounts, the Sienna driver also knocked down another person while trying to escape from the scene before the driver was apprehended.
“At the same time that the above scenario was going on, the fatally injured Issa was rushed to the Lagos Island General Hospital where it was confirmed that he was brought in dead. His remains have been deposited at the morgue of same hospital”, the statement read.
The General Manager, LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, commiserated with the family of the deceased, stressing that drivers found flouting traffic rules would be seriously dealt with according to the law.
Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, the Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, has intervened in the fracas between some NURTW branch chairmen and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
Some NURTW members had protested the alleged extortion by LASTMA officials in some parts of the metropolis which resulted in a lot of stranded commuters last week.
During the protest, some of the union members refused to convey commuters to their various destinations along some areas on Ikorodu Road.
This intervention by Oluomo was confirmed on Monday by his aide, Jimoh Buhari who said all the branch chairmen in the areas concerned had been summoned in a bid to redress the grievances of concerned stakeholders.
About seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the death of a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official, Godwin Obasu, and the hospitalisation of his colleague, Hakeem Adeniyi, who was reportedly attacked by a commercial bus driver and his colleagues in the Bariga area of the state.
In a statement on Thursday, the Assistant Director, Public Affairs, LASTMA, Filade Olumide, said about seven suspects had been arrested and handed over to the police, while the bus driver and others were still at large.
He said the General Manager of the agency, Olajide Oduyoye, condemned the assault on the officials that led to the killing of Obasu, noting that Adeniyi who sustained serious injuries during the incident, was still in a coma at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
Ripples Nigeria gathered that the two LASTMA officials had apprehended a commercial bus for contravening the traffic law of the state, but the bus driver was said to have mobilised his colleagues, who attacked the officials with different weapons, including machetes.
The statement read: “Godwin Obasu and Hakeem Adeniyi were attacked with machetes and other weapons by the driver of a commercial bus with number plate, FKJ 452 YC, plying Bariga to Oshodi via the Ikorodu Road axis in cohort with some other drivers, after his vehicle was apprehended for contravening the traffic law of the state.
“The sad fact about the whole saga was that the two officers were in mufti and on their way home, having completed their morning shift and closed for the day, before the recalcitrant commercial bus drivers went berserk, seeking any LASTMA officer to attack for carrying out their statutory duties.
“Obazu was struck severally with machetes resulting in deep lacerations on his head and leading to his eventual death, while Hakeem Adeniyi, who was also attacked similarly, has been hospitalised and in a coma.
While noting that some senior officers, who were also in mufti and around the area were lucky to escape the mob attack, the general manager warned all cultists doubling as commercial bus drivers that any traffic violation or infraction shall be punished or penalised as enacted by the Lagos State House of Assembly.”
