By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) over the weekend registers its strongest condemnation of a heinous and premeditated assault perpetrated against one of its officers by a defiant commercial bus driver at Ojota Interchange in Lagos.
The driver of a painted Caravelle GL Volkswagen commercial bus EKY 693 YK was lawfully intercepted for a flagrant contravention of extant traffic regulations, having been operated along the Ojota–Ketu corridor with its passenger door recklessly left opened while fully laden with commuters, an infraction that endangered passengers and other road users alike.
Upon interception on the main carriageway, the driver responded with brazen insubordination, strenuously resisting lawful arrest and attempting an escape by mounting the median in a desperate bid to abscond. His attempted flight was, however, abruptly curtailed when the vehicle became mechanically immobilized. Frustrated by the collapse of his escape plan, the suspect descended into unrestrained violence.
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 vicious attack resulted in severe fractures and significant blood loss before the assailant fled the scene.
The vehicle was immediately impounded in strict compliance with statutory provisions. The injured officer was promptly taken to a medical facility, where he underwent emergency surgical intervention. Due to the gravity of the fractures sustained, two fingers required immediate operative reconstruction. He remains under close medical observation and is receiving comprehensive care.
