Mr. Bolaji Oreagba, the General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), stated in his office that attacks and assaults on his men and officers will no longer be tolerated.
He made this statement in the light of the latest attack by a commercial driver on LASTMA officer who was on duty at Ojota interchange to manage and enforce the State Traffic Law as enacted by the State House of Assembly and signed into law by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. In the words of Oreagba, “These attacks will no longer be tolerated and attackers when caught will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”
The General Manager said that Lagos, a cosmopolitan city with the smallest landmass, has over two million vehicles within the city and several thousands coming in and out of Lagos roads on daily basis. This has therefore necessitated proactive traffic management with enforcement in order to ensure sanity on our roads. “No traffic law violator would be allowed to go scot-free, especially in these ‘ember months as the state government is not prepared to endanger the safety and security of the people of Lagos State”, he further said.
The traffic officer was attacked and severely injured with a screw driver on the head while carrying out his official duty on the evening of Thursday, 7th October at his beat under Ojota Interchange inwards Ketu. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where his health has been stabilised as revealed by the Zonal Head of that beat.
The commercial bus driver and his conductor took to their heels after carrying out the assault on the LASTMA officer. The driver of the yellow Volkswagen bus, popularly called ‘vanagon’, with plate number LSD 28 XY, was found passing through the dedicated BRT corridor at Ojota towards Ketu when he was accosted.
The LASTMA boss therefore urged the motoring public to be law-abiding at all times in order to ensure free-flow of traffic and sanity on our roads. “Attacks on traffic managers attract stiffer penalty and punishment than disobeying traffic laws, and as such perpetrators will be dealt with severely to serve as deterrent to any would-be offender”, Oreagba added.
