Africa-Press – Nigeria. A Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, officer who was brutally attacked during a routine traffic enforcement operation at the Ojota Interchange has undergone surgery and has since been discharged from hospital, the agency has confirmed.
In an exclusive interview, the LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, told Daily Post that the officer sustained serious injuries that required surgical intervention.
The incident occurred over the weekend along the busy Ojota–Ketu corridor, where operatives of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority intercepted a painted Caravelle GL Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number EKY 693 YK for a serious traffic violation.
According to LASTMA, the commercial bus was flagged down after it was observed operating with its passenger door left open while fully loaded with commuters, an act officials described as dangerous and capable of endangering both passengers and other road users.
What began as a routine enforcement exercise, however, quickly degenerated into violence.
The driver reportedly resisted arrest and attempted to flee by mounting the road median, before his escape was cut short when the vehicle became immobilised.
In the ensuing confrontation, the driver allegedly turned violent, attacking the officers with a broken bottle.
“In a shocking display of brutality, he seized a jagged broken bottle from within the bus and lunged at the enforcement officers, stabbing one officer in the fingers,” LASTMA had earlier stated.
He was rushed to a medical facility where he underwent emergency surgery.
“They operated on two fingers on his left hand. He has now been discharged from the hospital as of yesterday,” Taofiq said.
Meanwhile, Taofiq added that the commercial driver who stabbed the officer is still at large as at the timing of filing this report. He was said to have absconded from the scene, leaving his vehicle behind.
According to the LASTMA spokesperson, the driver’s vehicle is still in custody while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing driver.
“His commercial bus is still under our custody, and we are still searching for him,” he disclosed.
Reacting earlier to the attack, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, condemned the incident, describing it as a direct assault on lawful authority.
“Any act of violence against traffic enforcement personnel constitutes a direct affront to lawful authority and civil order,” Bakare-Oki said, stressing that the matter has been reported to the police and investigations are ongoing.
He warned commercial transport operators against defying traffic regulations and attacking enforcement officers, noting that LASTMA would continue to intensify its operations across Lagos State to ensure public safety.
The agency reiterated its commitment to maintaining order, discipline and the free flow of traffic in the metropolis, insisting that acts of violence and lawlessness would be met with firm legal consequences.
For More News And Analysis About Nigeria Follow Africa-Press
