Bus conductor attacks traffic officer in Lagos

A bus conductor stabbed a Lagos traffic officer on Monday during routine checks at Ile-Epo Market along the Lagos-Abeokuta Road.

Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), shared this information in a statement from Lagos.

He explained that the conductor of a Volkswagen commercial bus attacked a LASTMA officer when a patrol team stopped the bus for blocking traffic at the market area towards Abule-Egba.

Bakare-Oki condemned the attack, stating that the officer was performing his legal duty. He said, “The officer was carrying out his statutory responsibility of ensuring unobstructed vehicular movement and maintaining order on Lagos roadways.”

He added, “The driver of the commercial vehicle vehemently resisted lawful enforcement procedures. In a shocking escalation of events, the vehicle’s conductor armed himself with a screwdriver and violently attacked a LASTMA officer, inflicting a stab wound during the altercation.”

The injured officer was quickly taken to a nearby hospital where he received urgent care and is now recovering well, according to Bakare-Oki.

He mentioned that the incident was reported to the Abattoir Police Division. The suspect has been arrested and is in police custody for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Bakare-Oki expressed worry about the rising hostility towards traffic management staff while they perform their duties. He stated that the Lagos State Government will not accept any form of assault, intimidation, or harassment against officers who work to maintain order on the roads.

He warned, “Anyone found attacking LASTMA personnel in the course of their lawful duties will face the full weight of the law.”

Bakare-Oki emphasized that LASTMA officers are deployed across Lagos to help with the movement of people, goods, and services and to enforce traffic rules.

He said, “Any act of violence against them constitutes an affront to public order and the rule of law and will not go unpunished.”

He called on motorists, commercial transport operators, and all road users to follow traffic rules as outlined in the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.

He added that cooperation with traffic management authorities is essential for a safer and more organized transport system. He urged transport unions to keep educating their members on the importance of respecting law enforcement and traffic management officers.