Africa-Press – Nigeria. A routine traffic enforcement operation turned violent at the Ojota Interchange in Lagos over the weekend after a commercial bus driver allegedly stabbed a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officer with a broken bottle while resisting arrest.
The incident occurred over the weekend when LASTMA operatives lawfully intercepted a painted Caravelle GL Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number EKY 693 YK along the Ojota–Ketu corridor.
The vehicle was reportedly flagged down for a serious traffic violation, having been operated with its passenger door left ajar while fully loaded with commuters, an infraction said to have posed grave danger to passengers and other road users.
According to a statement gotten from LASTMA, the driver reacted with open defiance, resisting arrest and attempting to flee the scene by dangerously mounting the road median. His escape attempt was cut short after the bus became immobilised on the carriageway.
Officials said the situation quickly escalated when the frustrated driver allegedly turned violent.
“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 of his right hand,” LASTMA stated.
The injured officer reportedly sustained severe fractures accompanied by significant blood loss before the assailant fled the scene. Despite the driver’s escape, the offending vehicle was immediately impounded in line with statutory provisions.
The wounded officer was promptly evacuated to a medical facility, where he underwent emergency surgical treatment.
LASTMA disclosed that two fingers required operative reconstruction due to the severity of the injuries, adding that the officer remains under close medical observation.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed strong outrage, describing the attack as reprehensible and unacceptable.
He said, “Any act of violence against traffic enforcement personnel constitutes a direct affront to lawful authority and civil order.”
Bakare-Oki confirmed that the matter has been reported to the police and that investigations are ongoing to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the fleeing suspect.
He further warned commercial transport operators against reckless disregard for traffic laws, stressing that the agency would not relent in enforcing regulations to protect public safety.
“The Authority will continue to intensify enforcement operations to safeguard public safety and uphold regulatory discipline across Lagos State,” he stated.
LASTMA reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining orderliness, discipline and the free flow of traffic across the metropolis, warning that acts of lawlessness and violent resistance would always attract firm legal consequences.
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