A traffic enforcement operation in Lagos turned violent on Monday after a commercial bus conductor allegedly stabbed a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officer with a screwdriver at Ile-Epo Market along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
According to LASTMA, the incident occurred after officials impounded a Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number LSR 989 XG for allegedly obstructing traffic. While the driver reportedly resisted the operation, the conductor, identified as Lekan Olasunkanmi, allegedly attacked one of the officers with a screwdriver during the confrontation.
The injured officer was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he received emergency treatment and is said to be responding well. The suspect was arrested and handed over to the Abattoir Police Division for investigation and possible prosecution.
LASTMA said the suspect admitted during preliminary police interrogation that he brought out the screwdriver and accidentally stabbed the officer during the altercation.
Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki condemned the attack, describing it as another disturbing case of violence against traffic management personnel. He warned that anyone who assaults LASTMA officers while they are carrying out their lawful duties would face the full weight of the law.
Bakare-Oki also urged motorists, commercial transport operators and transport unions to cooperate with traffic officials and comply with the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, to ensure safer and more orderly roads across the state.