LASTMA Official Stabbed by Bus Conductor During Lagos Enforcement

A traffic official in Lagos was reportedly stabbed by a commercial bus conductor on Monday. The incident occurred during a standard enforcement operation near Ile-Epo Market, situated along the Lagos-Abeokuta Road. This information was disclosed by Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), in an official statement released in Lagos.

Bakare-Oki elaborated, stating that a LASTMA officer sustained a stab wound from the conductor of a Volkswagon commercial bus. This happened after a LASTMA patrol unit stopped the vehicle for causing traffic obstruction along the market access road leading towards Abule-Egba. The LASTMA GM strongly denounced the assault, emphasizing that the officer was merely performing his official responsibilities at the time.

Bakare-Oki quoted, saying: "The officer was carrying out his statutory responsibility of ensuring unobstructed vehicular movement and maintaining order on Lagos roadways. The driver of the commercial vehicle vehemently resisted lawful enforcement procedures. In a shocking escalation of events, the vehicle’s conductor armed himself with a screwdriver and violently attacked a LASTMA officer, inflicting a stab wound during the altercation. The injured officer was immediately evacuated to a nearby medical facility where he received urgent medical attention and is currently responding positively to treatment."

He further confirmed that the incident was promptly reported to the Abattoir Police Division. Subsequently, the individual suspected of the attack was arrested and is now in police custody, awaiting further investigation and potential legal proceedings.

Bakare-Oki voiced his apprehension regarding the increasing hostility faced by traffic management personnel as they execute their official duties. He asserted that the Lagos State Government has a zero-tolerance policy for any assault, intimidation, harassment, or attack against officers tasked with ensuring public order and sanity on the state's roads. According to the General Manager, individuals found to be assaulting LASTMA personnel while they perform their lawful duties will be met with the full force of the law.

He added: "Our officers are deployed across the state to facilitate seamless movement of people, goods and services as well as to ensure strict compliance with extant traffic regulations. Any act of violence against them constitutes an affront to public order and the rule of law and will not go unpunished."

Bakare-Oki implored motorists, commercial vehicle operators, and other road users to adhere strictly to all traffic regulations outlined in the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018. He stressed that cooperation with traffic management authorities is crucial for fostering a safer, more efficient, and better-organized transport system within the state. Finally, he called upon transport unions to consistently educate their members about the vital importance of respecting both law enforcement and traffic management officials. (NAN)