On Tuesday, April 8, the Lagos Mobile Court sat in Oshodi and sentenced two people to three months in prison for a mob attack on officials of the Lagos State Traffic Authority (Lastma).
The incident occurred on Monday, April 7, near the offices of Lastma Central District (9) on Victoria Island, and was described by a group of commercial operators as an unprovoked and coordinated attack.
According to Lastma authorities, the chaos began when officials arrested a white commercial minibus with registration number SMK 742 YJ to resolve traffic barriers near the McWillen Bridge in the inward flag house.
In response, the driver allegedly called for reinforcements, prompting two other minibuses (one identified as GGE 995) to arrive, filled with angry commercial drivers who launched a fierce attack on law enforcement officers.
The rapid intervention of safety operators led to the immediate arrest of two suspects at the scene. The two filed a lawsuit in Mobile Court the next day and did not choose to impose a fine.
Lastma General Manager Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki published a judgment in the court’s ruling, calling the judgment a “timely and necessary deterrent” to others who may consider similar violations.
“We will not tolerate any form of aggression against our personnel. Our officials are performing their legal duties and attacks on them are attacks on the rule of law and public safety,” Bakare-Oki said.
The statement, signed by Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment at Lastma, condemned the attack in the strongest way and reassured the public the agency’s ongoing efforts to ensure traffic safety and smooth flows across the state.
