LASTMA reacts to video of its officers driving ‘one-way’

Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has reacted to a viral video showing officers of the agency driving against the traffic.

In the viral video which surfaced on Friday, a man blocked the agency’s officers for driving against the traffic around the Oworonshoki Bridge area of the state.

Reacting to the development, The General Manager of LASTMA, Oreagba Bolaji, said the video is not recent.

In a statement by the agency’s spokesperson, Taofik Adebayo, on Saturday, Oreagba disclosed that the incident happened on Saturday said the incident happened in 2020 around Iyana Ipaja before the #EndSARS protest.

He noted that all the officers involved in the incident had been sanctioned.

The statement read, “The attention of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has been drawn to a viral video on Twitter (@OmoGbajaBiamila) where our officers who drove against traffic (one-way) with an operational vehicle , RTM 08 LA Zone 25 Bariga, was blocked by a private vehicle on Oworonsoki Bridge, Lagos.

“The agency hereby states categorically that the video incident occurred in year 2020 before the #ENDSARS protest around Iyana-Oworo. All officers involved have been appropriately sanctioned by the authority.

“The patrol van with number plate RTM 08 LA, Zone 25 Bariga, seen in the viral video was among LASTMA operational vehicles burnt alongside our office building by #EndSARa protesters at Iyana-Oworo, Lagos.

“The agency, therefore, urges members of the public to disregard the video that was deployed to embarrass our team of hardworking officers.

“LASTMA will continue effective monitoring and control of traffic across the state, just as it will not condone indiscipline among any of its personnel.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Saturday stated that the officials involved in the video has been summoned.