LASTMA: Motorists Warn Officials Of More Attacks

By Fola James

The Lagos state government’s radical approach to traffic control in the state has recorded another casualty.

Last week, an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA Ola Oyesina was killed around the Apapa axis of the state.

He was stoned by some angry drivers who appear not happy with the way the agency has been controlling traffic the  magazine was told by those who witnessed the incident.

The official did not die immediately after the incident, he was taken to the hospital where he later gave up the ghost at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, where he was receiving treatment from the serious injury sustained during the attack.

The police have arrested the two persons involved and investigation is ongoing to get to them bottom of the incident, the state police command also said.

Since he came to office in May this year, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been trying to rejig the state’s traffic management system for better performance.

More policemen and other security agencies have been drafted as part of effort to boost the operation of LASTMA but the traffic situation has failed to subside.

Penultimate week, the state new Commissioner of Police, Mr Odumosu on resumption directed another batch of 1000 policemen to be drafted to control traffic.

Odumosu, an experienced officer in traffic management disclosed this after a meeting with Governor Sanwo-Olu and other top officials of the state government on the solution to the worsening traffic situation.

But LASTMA statutorily is responsible for controlling traffic and its officials have been accused of high handedness and extortion by commuters and other road users.

The attack on one of its official therefore is an indication of growing anger over the way some LATSMA officials daily harass and extort motorists, some say.

Some commercial drivers who spoke with the magazine disclosed that they have been going through hell in the hands of the officials since Governor Sanwo-Olu came to power.

Public analysts say LASTMA have become very oppressive following Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Executive Order directing traffic agencies in the state to restore order.

The administration has adopted a totally different style from that of Governor Akinwumi Ambode who according to watchers of the state’s politics applied human face to traffic management mechanism.

What this means is that LASTMA have been given more powers to do as they like.

To motorists, this translates to indiscriminate arrest and extortion by some greedy officials over unserious traffic offences.

“Recently, along the Lagos/ Abeokuta expressway, I was stopped by some LASTMA guys who accused me of not putting on the seat belt.

To me, this is the work of Road Safety. To cut the long story short, I was taken to their PWD office, ticketed and made to pay N10,000. This is aside other small money collected before my vehicle was eventually released,” said Femi Abayomi, a private car owner.

Commercial drivers also have bad tales to tell in their daily encounter with LASTMA officials.

“This government has opened the door for LASTMA to do anything. The way they deal with us is too much even when you have not committed any offence.

Sometimes, they will just enter your vehicle and when you ask them to tell you your offence, they won’t be able to say anything.  It’s either they say you offended one of them or that you have not been giving them something. The extortion is too much,” Rafiu Suleman, a commercial driver in CMS told the magazine.

But this is not the first time officials of the traffic agency will be attacked and killed, even though some analysts warn that there could be more attacks as the state government further tightens the noose on traffic offenders.