The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has accused the Nigeria
Customs of attacking its officials and destroying property worth several
millions of naira at its office.
This is coming barely two months after some soldiers set ablaze Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses over the death of one of their colleagues who was walking on the BRT lane. According to the Head of Public Relations Unit, LASTMA, Mrs Bola Ajao, Customs men stormed the agency’s zonal office in Mile 2 and beat up some of the traffic personnel in bid to forcefully evacuate a vehicle impounded for driving against the traffic at Coconut area of Mile 2, Lagos.
She said that the angry Custom officials stormed the office about an hour after the vehicle, a wine colour Honda Pilot Jeep with registration number EKY 521 CZ, belonging to a Customs officer, was impounded. It was learnt that the Custom officials, who invaded the LASTMA premises in a convoy of three patrol vehicles, were fully armed with automatic rifles.
They beat the LASMA officials and demanded unconditional release of the vehicle. A LASTMA official, Musiliu Edu and a police corporal, Saliu Isiaka, were reportedly battered for recording the barbaric act and their phones and camera were seized at gunpoint.
Another LASTAM official, Wensu Idowu, was said to have been hit in the mouth with the butt of a gun. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Recounting the ordeals of his men, the Mile 2 Zonal Head, Victor Adeyanju, said when the Customs men stormed their office for unconditional release of the vehicle, the officer on duty told them to follow the laid down procedure for the release of the vehicle. This, according to him, angered the Customs men as they threatened to continue to lay siege to the agency’s premises until the vehicle was released.
“They intensified the beating and dragging of officers on the floor,” Adeyanju said. It took the concerted efforts of the police from Festac police station led by the Divisional Crime Officer, identified as Supol Enfanyi and his team to restore normalcy. The Custom men, who were arrested by the police, escaped on the way to the police station but one of their official patrol vehicles was impounded and taken to the Festac Police Station. Items found at the premises after the attack include bullet shells and a name tag belonging to one of Customs men, Audu A. A.
The LASTMA General Manager, Mr Babatunde Edu, decried frequent attacks on the traffic officers. Edu appealed to uniform personnel across all military and paramilitary formations to see LASTMA officials as partners who are out to ensure sanity on the road. When contacted on phone, the Customs Public Relations Officer, Uche Ejieseme, said he was not aware of the incident.
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This is coming barely two months after some soldiers set ablaze Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses over the death of one of their colleagues who was walking on the BRT lane. According to the Head of Public Relations Unit, LASTMA, Mrs Bola Ajao, Customs men stormed the agency’s zonal office in Mile 2 and beat up some of the traffic personnel in bid to forcefully evacuate a vehicle impounded for driving against the traffic at Coconut area of Mile 2, Lagos.
She said that the angry Custom officials stormed the office about an hour after the vehicle, a wine colour Honda Pilot Jeep with registration number EKY 521 CZ, belonging to a Customs officer, was impounded. It was learnt that the Custom officials, who invaded the LASTMA premises in a convoy of three patrol vehicles, were fully armed with automatic rifles.
They beat the LASMA officials and demanded unconditional release of the vehicle. A LASTMA official, Musiliu Edu and a police corporal, Saliu Isiaka, were reportedly battered for recording the barbaric act and their phones and camera were seized at gunpoint.
Another LASTAM official, Wensu Idowu, was said to have been hit in the mouth with the butt of a gun. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Recounting the ordeals of his men, the Mile 2 Zonal Head, Victor Adeyanju, said when the Customs men stormed their office for unconditional release of the vehicle, the officer on duty told them to follow the laid down procedure for the release of the vehicle. This, according to him, angered the Customs men as they threatened to continue to lay siege to the agency’s premises until the vehicle was released.
“They intensified the beating and dragging of officers on the floor,” Adeyanju said. It took the concerted efforts of the police from Festac police station led by the Divisional Crime Officer, identified as Supol Enfanyi and his team to restore normalcy. The Custom men, who were arrested by the police, escaped on the way to the police station but one of their official patrol vehicles was impounded and taken to the Festac Police Station. Items found at the premises after the attack include bullet shells and a name tag belonging to one of Customs men, Audu A. A.
The LASTMA General Manager, Mr Babatunde Edu, decried frequent attacks on the traffic officers. Edu appealed to uniform personnel across all military and paramilitary formations to see LASTMA officials as partners who are out to ensure sanity on the road. When contacted on phone, the Customs Public Relations Officer, Uche Ejieseme, said he was not aware of the incident.
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