- Safiu Kehinde
It was a moment of horror at Cele-Mile 2 area of Lagos on Tuesday after a yet-to-be identified commercial bus driver set himself and an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) ablaze.
As seen in a now viral video on X, the driver was on the verge of getting apprehended by a team of LASTMA officials who intercepted his vehicle over alleged violation of traffic regulations.
In the cause of argument and attempt to evade arrest, the driver alleged doused one of the officials in petrol.
Fire would ignite in the fracas, setting both the driver and the officer ablaze as his colleagues and passers-by scampered to safety.
In what would have been a huge disaster, the driver was close to colliding with an oncoming fuel tanker.
He, however, managed to avert the impending havoc as he pulled off his clothes and ran to safety.
Confirming the incident, Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA, claimed that the officer was brutally attacked bythe commercial bus driver and his conductor while discharging official duties.
“LASTMA has been made aware of a distressing video showing the driver of a Volkswagen T4 commercial bus, licence plate LSD 355 CK, setting both his vehicle and LASTMA officer ablaze in a brazen attempt to evade arrest.
“This shocking event transpired today (Tuesday), Nov. 5, when the driver resisted arrest with extreme aggression by LASTMA officials.
“The vehicle had been intercepted for violating traffic regulations in the Cele inward Mile 2 area,” he said.
Adebayo noted that the driver and his conductor in the course of arrest, erupted into a frenzy, resorting to pouring petrol on the LASTMA officer and engaging in hostile confrontations and physical attacks against officers present.
“The injured LASTMA officer, who sustained severe burns, was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.
He reiterated LASTMA’s unwavering commitment to preserving order and ensuring the safety of Lagos roads, as stipulated in the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of2018.
Adebayo, however, urged commercial and other drivers to comply fully with traffic regulations and respect the authority of LASTMA personnel.
“LASTMA will not condone any form of violence or intimidation and will take firm and decisive action against those responsible,” he said.
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