Motorists and area boys on Monday at about 12:30pm, June 16 beat up a yet-to-be-identified official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority at the Ogolonto area, Ikorodu in Lagos for what they described as “immodest attitude.”
Scene of the incident
The LASTMA official, whose uniform was blood-stained according to a transporter in the garage, who identified himself simply as Obisesan, said the LASTMA official was beaten up due to his “overbearing attitude.”
He said, “There were about five LASTMA officials at this junction at about 12.30pm. A commercial driver with his conductor was approaching from inside the area. Their bus did not have any passenger. By the time they got to the junction, two of the LASTMA officials climbed into the bus for a reason unknown to the driver, and ordered him to park.
“While the driver was finding out what his offence was, one of the LASTMA officials placed his leg on the clutch. Meanwhile, the driver’s leg was on the turtle. That was how the bus swerved and the engine got knocked. Motorists got angry, and the pandemonium started.”
It was learnt that while the LASTMA was being beaten, other LASTMA officials and traffic policemen on duty could not intervene and also the motorist was also said to have sustained slight injuries in the scuffle.
A LASTMA official at the bus stop, who craved anonymity said for the timely intervention of the police after alerting them, things would have gotten out of hand.
He said: “It took the intervention of the police to arrest the situation as the area boys were growing in number. Eventually, when the policemen showed up, the culprit driver and some area boys were all taken to Ipakodo Police Division.
“The driver’s bus is at the station and our injured colleague is also with them.”
The Chief Executive Officer of LASTMA, Mr. Young Arabamen, when contacted said he had yet to receive any information of an injured official. “I do not have that information of any injured official,” he said.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, is however yet to make any comments on the incident.
Some LASTMA officials have been popularly known for collecting bribes. In April an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA at Ojota Bus stop, Lagos was caught collecting bribe from motorists in style.
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