Burnt LASTMA official hospitalised as Lagos hunts driver

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Uchechi Ojo
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Burnt LASTMA official hospitalised as Lagos hunts driver

The Lagos State Government has launched a manhunt for the driver responsible for setting a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officer on fire in the Mile 2 area of the state on Tuesday.
According to newsmen, LASTMA officials had stopped the driver for violating traffic rules, but he resisted arrest. In a bid to escape, the driver reportedly doused his vehicle and several of the officers with petrol before setting the bus alight and fleeing the scene.
A statement from LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the attack, noting that the officer sustained serious injuries and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
In a phone interview with journalists on Wednesday, LASTMA spokesperson Adebayo Taofiq explained that efforts were underway to capture the driver responsible for the attack.
He stated, “When the officer was set on fire, our priority was ensuring his safety, which is why he was immediately taken to the hospital. We were also able to capture the vehicle’s registration number. Intensive efforts are ongoing to track down the driver and his accomplice. The government is fully committed to this case and will not rest until justice is served.”
Adebayo also disclosed that the officer’s condition worsened the previous night after he was discharged from the hospital.

“He was discharged after being treated yesterday, but around 3 a.m., he began complaining of severe pain. The pain became unbearable, and he was referred back to the hospital,” Adebayo said.

Narrating the incident on Tuesday, Adebayo explained, “The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has become aware of a distressing video showing the driver of a Volkswagen T4 commercial bus, with license plate LSD 355 CK, setting both his vehicle and LASTMA officers on fire in a brazen attempt to evade arrest.

“The vehicle was intercepted for violating traffic regulations in the Cele area, inward Mile 2.

“During the arrest, the driver and his conductor became agitated, pouring petrol on LASTMA personnel and engaging in violent confrontations and physical attacks against the officers present.”

“The injured LASTMA officer, who sustained severe burns, was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment,” Adebayo added.

The agency strongly urges all commercial drivers, as well as others, to fully comply with traffic regulations and respect the authority of LASTMA personnel. LASTMA will not tolerate any form of violence or intimidation and will take firm and decisive action against those responsible.

He reiterated the agency’s commitment “to preserving order and ensuring the safety of Lagos roads, as outlined in the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018.”

Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at NeptunePrime.

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