Scores of hoodlums were confirmed to have attacked the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus along the Lagos-Badagry expressway, dispossessing passengers of their personal belongings during the attack.
After robbing the passengers, the hoodlums were said to have vandalized the commercial vehicle freely without interference from security agencies.
Passengers narrated that the hoodlums, who operated under the guise of protesting the seizure of motorcycles by the state’s task force, carried out the robbery operation around 1 p.m.
During the operation, the passengers narrated that the hoodlums made away with their smartphones, money, and other valuables found on them.
The passengers, who boarded the vehicle from Mile 2 en route CMS, noted that when the bus arrived at Odunade bus stop end of the road, they discovered signs of a charged atmosphere.
One of the passenger, Abiodun Oluwole narrated that the mob intended to attack Orile police station before sighting their vehicle and dashed on it.
“As we moved further, the crowd grew. When we got to Alafia bus stop, in front of the NNPC fuel station, some guys started breaking the BRT windshield and the windows”.
Confirming the attack, the Lagos State Government decried the attack and warned perpetrators to desist from the act.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Bus Services Limited, LBSL, Idowu Oguntona, who condemned the development, noted that the trend of hoodlums attacking buses has become both alarming and unacceptable.
Oguntona, in a statement by LBSL’s Public Affairs Officer, Afolabi Olawale, “The Lagos State Government will not stand by idly and allow such acts of lawlessness and illicit acts to continue in the state
“The bus, which was traveling from Mile 2 to Leventis, was approaching the Ore-Ofe bus stop on the Orile axis with 35 passengers on board when a large mob suddenly emerged and swarmed the bus.
“The attackers assaulted passengers, stabbed them with sharp objects, and robbed them of their phones and other valuables.
“These criminals, who cannot be true Lagosians but rather agents of anarchy, have no place in any decent society
“The Lagos State Government is committed to taking all necessary legal steps to protect residents and visitors.
“There is no need for fear, we assure all commuters of their safety while traveling on all public transportation platforms in Lagos State.”
