Bus Driver Allegedly Stabs LASTMA Officer During Enforcement in Ojota
Bus Driver Allegedly Stabs LASTMA Officer During Enforcement in Ojota
Kehinde Adeleye
A routine traffic enforcement operation turned violent at the Ojota Interchange in Lagos over the weekend after a commercial bus driver allegedly stabbed an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) with a broken bottle while resisting arrest.
The incident occurred when LASTMA operatives intercepted a painted Caravelle GL Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number EKY 693 YK along the Ojota–Ketu corridor.
The vehicle was reportedly flagged down for a serious traffic violation after it was operated with its passenger door left ajar while fully loaded with commuters, an infraction said to have posed danger to passengers and other road users.
According to a statement issued by LASTMA, the driver reacted defiantly, resisted arrest and allegedly attempted to escape by mounting the road median. The attempt was unsuccessful after the bus became immobilised on the carriageway.
Officials said the situation escalated when the driver allegedly turned violent.
“In a shocking display of brutality, he seized a jagged broken bottle from within the bus and lunged at the enforcement officers, stabbing one officer in the fingers of his right hand,” the agency stated.
The injured officer reportedly sustained severe fractures and significant blood loss before the suspect fled the scene. The vehicle was subsequently impounded in line with statutory provisions.
The wounded officer was immediately taken to a medical facility, where he underwent emergency surgery. LASTMA disclosed that two fingers required operative reconstruction due to the severity of the injuries, adding that the officer remains under close medical observation.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, condemned the attack, describing it as unacceptable.
“Any act of violence against traffic enforcement personnel constitutes a direct affront to lawful authority and civil order,” he said.
Bakare-Oki confirmed that the matter has been reported to the police and that investigations are ongoing to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the fleeing suspect.
He also warned commercial transport operators against disregarding traffic regulations, stressing that the agency would intensify enforcement efforts to safeguard public safety across Lagos State.
