Reactions as Police officers arrest, handcuff LASTMA official
There was pandemonium in Yaba area of Lagos on Tuesday when power-drunk Policemen pounced on an officer of the state Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Odugbemi Eyitayo, over enforcement of traffic offence.
It was gathered that trouble began when the LASTMA officer tried to arrest a car driver who later happened to be a Policeman for driving on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane in the area.
But instead of being remorseful, the Policeman confronted the LASTMA officer, and this led to a serious fight in which the LASTMA officer sustained serious mouth injury, which compelled his colleagues and some other Policemen to rush to the scene and started exchanging hot words.
An eye witness at the scene was quoted by Vanguard newspapers to have said: “Everybody saw the vehicle driving through the BRT lane and the LASTMA officers trying to arrest the car, which led to a serious confrontation between the car driver and the leader of the patrol. The driver was seen hitting the officer seriously with a blow that blood started coming out of the officer’s mouth and people were watching the drama as it unfolded.”
“The struggle between the car driver, who was later discovered to be a police officer, trying to handcuff the LASTMA officer was a serious show and some spirited citizens intervened, blamed the car driver for his rude behaviour against the officers, knowing full well that he had committed an offence, he should have pleaded with the LASTMA officers to settle the matter rather than blowing hot,” the eyewitness explained.
According to the eyewitness, as people were pleading with the driver, he left the spot and walked up to some police officers standing some metres away, only for them to get to the scene and then beat and handcuffed the LASTMA officer before taking him away to Sabo Police Station.
While reacting, the LASTMA General Manager, Bolaji Oreagba, condemned the act, describing it as “unfortunate.”
He said the policeman’s car seized by the LASTMA officer is currently at the LASTMA yard pending trial of the matter in a magistrate’s court soon.
