LASTMA official fight police over arrest of bus

  officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, yesterday, clashed with a police officer, Sergeant Gabriel Ojo, over the arrest of a commercial bus driver in Alausa area of Lagos.

It was gathered that one of the LASTMA officials, Neye A., jumped into the commercial bus, which was in motion, at Allen Avenue and struggled for the steering wheel with the driver, which made Sergeant Ojo to react.

According to the police officer, "the LASTMA official stopped the bus that I boarded. Later, other LASTMA officials came with their vehicle and blocked the bus. The driver told them that he parked at a bus stop but they said it was not a bus stop.

"One of the LASTMA officials, Neye A., opened the front door on the passenger's side where I was sitting, stretched towards the driver and began to struggle at the steering wheel with him."

He said it was at that point that he challenged the LASTMA official and his colleagues descended on him (policeman), saying he was stopping them from impounding the bus.

Passenger speaks

One of the passengers, who gave his name as Olukunle Babatunde, explained that he boarded the bus at the proper bus stop, but that the next thing he saw was a LASTMA official struggling at the steering wheel with the driver.

He said: "We (passengers) started begging the LASTMA official to allow the bus driver to park, but he didn't answer us until we got to Radio Bus Stop.

"The bus actually came to a halt because it hit another bus. In the process, I was injured on my hand."

The LASTMA officials refused to answer questions put to them by Vanguard, insisting that they will take the police officer away for allowing the bus driver to escape arrest.

However, a police patrol team that intervened in the matter took Sergeant Ojo away, after faulting the action of the LASTMA officials.

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