By Aderoju Israel
It was an unpleasant sight in the Ojota axis of Lagos on Thursday after an officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) was stabbed on his head by an unidentified commerical bus driver.
It was gathered that the driver immediately absconded the scene, and is currently on the run.
The incident took place in the Ojota axis in the Kosofe Local Government Area of the state, bringing activities in the area to halt.
The assaulted LASTMA officer identified as Hassan K, was attacked by the commercial driver who took to his heels after noticing blood gushing from the victim’s head.
The LASTMA General Manager, Bolaji Oreagba confirmed the incident, saying the traffic officer was attacked and severely injured with a screw driver at his duty post while carrying out his job under Ojota Interchange inwards Ketu.
He explained that the officer was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where his health has been stabilised as revealed by the Zonal Head of that beat.
“The commercial bus driver and his conductor took to their heels after carrying out the assault on the LASTMA officer. The driver of the yellow Volkswagen bus, popularly called ‘vanagon’, with plate number LSD 28 XY, was found passing through the dedicated BRT corridor at Ojota towards Ketu when he was accosted,” Oreagba said.
Frowning at the development, he noted that attacks and assaults on his men and officers will no longer be tolerated, adding that attacker when caught will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Oreagba said the cosmopolitan status of the state had necessitated proactive traffic management with enforcement in order to ensure sanity across the state.
He added, “No traffic law violator would be allowed to go scot-free, especially in these ‘ember months as the state government is not prepared to endanger the safety and security of the people of Lagos State.”
The LASTMA boss, however, urged all motorists to be law-abiding at all times in order to ensure free-flow of traffic and sanity on Lagos roads.
“Attacks on traffic managers attract stiffer penalty and punishment than disobeying traffic laws, and as such perpetrators will be dealt with severely to serve as deterrent to any would-be offender,” he added.
