LASTMA Vacates Duty Posts As 15 LASTMA Wounded In Clash With Soldiers
A clash between some soldiers and officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, has left at least 15 of the latter injured, Pristinegist reports.
The crisis, which started on Friday in Oshodi area of Lagos, has also led to the withdrawal of LASTMA officials from their duty posts across the state, for fear of being attacked by soldiers.
The incident was triggered by the arrest of a vehicle that violated traffic rules by LASTMA officials. A soldier, who was in the vehicle, tried to plead with the officials to release the driver, but they refused.
An argument ensued between the soldier and the officials, which turned violent. The soldier was overpowered and beaten by the LASTMA officials.
A video clip circulating on social media showed a soldier in uniform being whipped by some LASTMA officials.
Shortly after, some soldiers arrived at the scene and assaulted LASTMA officials they saw, forcing them to flee from Oshodi.
The attack continued over the weekend, in Oshodi and Ojota areas of the state. Some people in mufti, claiming to be soldiers, also attacked some LASTMA officials in Ojota on Monday.
By Tuesday morning, most of the LASTMA officials had abandoned their duty posts in major areas of Lagos, as rumours of another attack spread.
A LASTMA official at 7/8 Junction, Ajao Estate, told Pristinegist that he had to remove his uniform to avoid being identified.
He said: “I had to take this measure because if anyone is killed in the process, nothing will be done. This is not the first time soldiers will attack members of other government agencies. Even when it resulted in the death of some policemen, nothing was done about it. This case should have been resolved by now by both authorities. It should not be allowed to escalate.
“No fewer than 15 of my colleagues have been wounded since this crisis started. My colleagues have all vacated their duty posts because news went around that the soldiers were out for LASTMA officials in Lagos.”
Another official at Ikotun area of Lagos said: “Yes, we have withdrawn from the road because nobody knows where or when they will strike. We got a text from our platform to withdraw for our good.
“But we were advised to stand by pending when the matter will be resolved. For me, I am not even close to my duty post because nobody knows if they are working with community people that will identify us.”
A commercial bus driver plying the Oshodi/NAHCO route, Mr Andrew James, blamed LASTMA officials for their poor human relations. He said: “The attacked soldier was heard telling the officials that he had an iron in his hand. Even if he was not a soldier, no human being deserved to be treated that way.”
The Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, LASTMA, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, said an official statement would be issued soon.
The spokesman for 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col Adebisi Ayeni, said: “I am aware that a LASTMA personnel attacked a soldier in uniform on Friday. An investigation into the issue is ongoing.”
The clash between soldiers and LASTMA officials comes at a time when Nigerians are facing economic challenges due to the removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu in May 2023.
The subsidy removal has led to frequent hikes in petrol price, which is currently over N600 per litre. This has caused inflation and public discontent, with labour unions threatening to go on strike if the price goes up again.
The government recently restored fuel subsidies to reduce the prices of petrol, kerosene, and diesel, after months of violent protests over the high cost of living.
A presidency official told Pristinegist that Tinubu is considering a “temporary subsidy” on petrol as a way of easing the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
The official said that the actual consumption of petrol in the country is now known since the subsidy was removed when Tinubu took office. This means that the subsidy expenditure “can now be controlled”.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited said on Monday that it has no plans to increase the pump price of petrol, despite the rise in crude oil prices, landing cost, and fall in the value of the naira.
This could be a way for Tinubu to maintain the current prices, but private importers have not announced any adjustments yet.
However, rumours of another hike in petrol price have caused anxiety among Nigerians, leading to panic buying on Tuesday morning.
Tinubu, who became Nigeria’s elected president in May 2023 amid legitimacy issues, introduced several policies to revive the economy shortly after his inauguration.
But the economy is still struggling as the naira continues to depreciate against the dollar. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said on Monday that it will implement new measures to stabilise the exchange rate.
