The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has condemned the assault on one of its officers by a commercial driver during a routine enforcement operation at the Ojota Interchange in the state.
The violent incident occurred when officers intercepted a painted Caravelle GL Volkswagen commercial bus, registration number EKY 693 YK, along the Ojota–Ketu corridor for a blatant violation of traffic regulations.
According to the agency on Sunday, the vehicle was being driven with its passenger door left open while fully loaded with commuters, an infraction that poses grave danger to passengers and other road users.
LASTMA disclosed that upon being flagged down on the main carriageway, the driver allegedly reacted with brazen defiance, resisting lawful arrest and attempting to flee the scene. In a desperate bid to escape, he reportedly mounted the road median, endangering other motorists before his vehicle became mechanically immobilised, cutting short his attempted getaway.
Frustrated by the failed escape, the suspect allegedly grabbed a jagged broken bottle from inside the bus and lunged at the enforcement officers. In the ensuing attack, one officer was stabbed in the fingers of his right hand, sustaining severe fractures and significant blood loss. The assailant subsequently fled the scene.
Despite the suspect’s escape, the offending vehicle was immediately impounded in accordance with statutory provisions.
The injured officer was rushed to a medical facility where he underwent emergency surgery. Due to the severity of the injuries, two fingers required operative reconstruction. He remains under close medical supervision and is said to be receiving comprehensive care.
Reacting to the development, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed profound outrage and unequivocal condemnation of the attack, describing it as a direct assault on lawful authority and civil order.
He confirmed that the matter is under thorough investigation by the police, with prosecutorial measures already underway to ensure the swift apprehension and diligent prosecution of the fleeing suspect.
Bakare-Oki warned that any act of violence against traffic enforcement personnel would attract firm legal consequences, reiterating the agency’s resolve to intensify enforcement operations across Lagos State.
He further admonished commercial transport operators to desist from reckless noncompliance with traffic laws, stressing that regulatory discipline is essential to safeguarding public safety.
The agency maintained that it remains steadfast in its statutory mandate to entrench orderliness, discipline, and the seamless flow of traffic throughout the metropolis, adding that acts of lawlessness and violent resistance will invariably attract an uncompromising lawful response.
