RECENTLY, the Lagos State police command asked the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to hand over two of its officers to the command over their alleged involvement in an incident which led to the death of one Modibo Usman, a hypertensive Bureau de Change operator. According to reports, Modibo was being conveyed by his son to the Foremost Radiology Consultant Hospital in Surulere, Lagos State, to obtain a test result for his daughter, preparatory to a visit to his doctor in the Lekki area of the state on the same day. On the way, however, the duo were stopped by LASTMA officers for allegedly disobeying traffic lights, and all entreaties over their medical emergency were ignored by the officers, who allegedly demanded a N50,000 bribe to release their vehicle. The LASTMA officers reportedly followed the duo to the Surulere hospital, after which they took the vehicle away. Sadly, the victim died of shock thereafter. The LASTMA officers have since been arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba. The LASTMA spokesman, Olumide Filade, however said that the agency did not have any record that its personnel demanded a bribe.
Stories of extortion, violence and other criminal activities by LASTMA personnel are of course routine. For instance, in May this year, the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) wrote the Lagos State government, lamenting extortion by LASTMA officials and officials of some local government in the state, including the committee set up for the removal of abandoned trucks. In a letter signed by Chief Remi Ogungbemi, the chairman of AMATO, the truckers lamented that they had been paying between N100,000 and N200,000 to these officials to secure the release of their trucks. With regard to LASTMA officials, the truckers specifically said: “They go about like hawks searching for chickens to catch. They arrest drivers of trucks who have not committed any traffic infraction indiscriminately and unnecessarily, day and night. In most cases, they don’t correct drivers on following the right way. If a driver misses or is about to miss his way, instead of correcting the driver, they would rather hide and wait for the driver to enter the wrong way before coming out to make arrest and impose heavy penalty.
“They arrest and slam penalty on any broken down mechanism, including trucks. No amount of maintenance can totally prevent the breakdown of any mechanism anywhere in the world. The breakdown has become their means of bread and butter. They always impose N100,000- N150,000 just for removing a broken down truck from the road, whereas we normally pay N20,000 to N30,000 to private towing operators to move our broken down trucks depending on the location and distances.” Indeed, a recent report by a correspondent who disguised as a hawker and sold popcorn and face masks in traffic at the Berger-Isheri area of Lagos revealed that for hours, LASTMA officers and policemen exploited motorists seeking to connect the Lagos-Ibadan expressway from the Berger-Isheri road. And only last month, shippers, truckers and clearing agents reported a loss in the region of N10.6 billion between 2016 and 2021 following extortion along the port access roads. The corrupt practices were allegedly perpetrated by security personnel including the Nigeria Police, LASTMA and other task force teams stationed to control traffic around the port corridors.
To be sure, as a traffic agency, LASTMA has, since its formation following the return to civil rule in 1999, made significant gains in ensuring smooth flow of traffic in the typically hectic Lagos. Because many motorists would rather break the law at will, LASTMA officers had been known over the years to brook no dissidence from errant drivers. However, over time, they have been credibly accused of excesses in the discharge of their duties. It is a fact that LASTMA personnel, perhaps taking a cue from other security agencies, have often visited untold agony on drivers and engaged in acts of harassment, extortion, intimidation and even physical attacks. LASTMA personnel have been known to cause accidents while trying to hunt down erring motorists. As a matter of fact, they have chased many people to their deaths.
It is a tragedy that LASTMA has copied extortion from the police. It has carried on as if it is all about punishment, lurking in the shadows to arrest motorists instead of giving them directions when or where required. It has demonstrated an appalling lack of civility. Instead of a traffic agency, it has carried on like a traffic affliction. This must not continue. In the instant case, the police would of course be interested in listening to the LASTMA operatives to know what really transpired during the incident, but it is significant to note that LASTMA operatives do not have an appealing record of good behaviour in the discharge of their responsibilities on Lagos roads. Reports about their unconscionable acts are legion. We expect the police to get to the root of this matter and not pander to the excesses of the LASTMA operatives. Ultimately, the LASTMA management must, going forward, take strict measures to regulate the public behaviour of its operatives and ensure that they exhibit greater professionalism in their conduct on the roads. The current incident must be investigated dispassionately and the accused charged to court if found culpable.
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