A commercial bus conductor has allegedly stabbed an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) with a screwdriver during a traffic enforcement operation at Ile-Epo, heading towards Abule-Egba on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, revealed this in a statement on Monday. According to Taofiq, the suspect, identified as Lekan Olasunkanmi, was arrested at the scene and handed over to the police for investigation and possible prosecution.
The incident reportedly occurred while a LASTMA patrol team was clearing a traffic obstruction caused by a Volkswagen commercial bus (registration number LSR 989 XG) at the busy Ile-Epo Market area. Taofiq stated that the vehicle’s driver resisted the enforcement operation, after which the conductor, Olasunkanmi, allegedly armed himself with a screwdriver and stabbed a LASTMA officer during the altercation.
The injured officer was quickly taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment and is said to be responding well. The case has since been reported at the Abattoir Police Division, where the suspect remains in custody.
According to Taofiq, during preliminary police questioning, the suspect admitted to wielding the screwdriver and claimed to have stabbed the officer accidentally.
LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, condemned the attack and warned that the Lagos State Government would not tolerate assaults or intimidation of traffic officers. He stressed that anyone found attacking LASTMA personnel in the course of their lawful duties would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, describing such acts as affronts to public order and the rule of law.
Bakare-Oki also urged motorists, commercial transport operators, and road users to comply with the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, emphasizing that cooperation with traffic officials is crucial for a safer and more orderly transport system. He appealed to transport unions to educate their members on respecting law enforcement officers.
This incident is the latest in a series of attacks on traffic officers in Lagos. In November 2024, PUNCH Metro reported a case where a commercial driver seriously injured a LASTMA officer in the Mile 2 area before setting his bus on fire and fleeing after resisting arrest for a traffic violation.
