Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) fled in various directions yesterday when a yet-to-be-identified armed policeman stormed the Iponri office of the traffic management agency, shooting sporadically before bolting away with his impounded vehicle.
Confirming the incident to newsmen, the general manager of the agency, Engineer Babatunde Edu, said the red Mercedes Benz, with registration number JV 23KJA, was impounded at Oyingbo for parking on the BRT dedicated lane,? constituting an impediment to the movement of BRT buses on the lane and violating the BRT traffic law.
He said the vehicle which was towed away was booked in accordance with Lagos state Traffic Management Regulation law.
Edu said the unidentified officer, who later traced the vehicle to the Iponri office of the agency, wore a cream top on his mobile police trousers on arrival, and started shooting sporadically into the air to scare away the officers and the security men on duty in order to forcefully recover his vehicle from the agency’s yard.
He lamented that despite the effort in maintain law and order, some people still continue to engage in illegalities and other actions that are against public safety, especially when such persons are law enforcement officers who should live by example.
“All these and more acts of indiscipline are demonstrated all the time and can contribute to the breakdown of law and order in the state. The state does not frown on the right of individuals or groups to own and drive cars within the metropolis, but they must respect all other road users,” he added.
Edu said the owner of the vehicle would be traced, arrested and sanctioned accordingly.