Naval Ratings beat up LASTMA officials

An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has been left injured following an attack by some naval ratings.

It was gathered that the LASTMA official was attacked for confiscating a Volkswagen bus which was obstructing the flow of traffic at Onipanu inward Fadeyi on the Ikorodu Road in Lagos.

Eyewitnesses say the bus was later tracked down at Fadeyi inward Jibowu by a LASTMA team after the driver tried to evade arrest. The driver reportedly dropped passengers in the middle of the main carriageway at Fadeyi under the cover of naval ratings on escort.

In a statement, the special adviser to the governor on transport Oluwatoyin Fayinka said, “When the commercial vehicle was eventually apprehended by LASTMA Team for clearly contravening the Lagos State Traffic Law, the Naval Ratings alighted from the commercial bus and attacked LASTMA Personnel.

The Naval Ratings further beckoned on their colleagues who were passing by in another vehicle to join them in the physical assault of the LASTMA Personnel on statutory duties.

All efforts by the policemen attached to the LASTMA personnel to stop the fracas proved abortive. In the process of the attack, Three Android phones belonging to LASTMA personnel were snatched away by the Naval Ratings. The apprehended commercial vehicle is in LASTMA custody.” [Swipe]