There was chaos in the Super area of Abule-Egba, Lagos, on Tuesday, following a confrontation between officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and a group of angry youths. The confrontation was sparked by the death of a motorist.
The deceased was reportedly crushed to death by the driver of a commercial vehicle who was said to be fleeing arrest.
The LASTMA officials were on enforcement duty along with some policemen from the Lagos State Police Command.
The officials of LASTMA and the policemen were accused of the death of the motorist who was fleeing from the law enforcement agencies.
Reports say that trouble started after the arrest of the driver of a Toyota Corolla car said to be driving on a BRT Road as at the time he was accosted.
A witness, Tolupe, alleged that the driver pleaded that he didn’t know that he had veered into BRT lane as there was no traffic signs to warn motorists of the BRR lane.
Tolupe said: “The government agencies insisted that the about-to-wed must grease their palms with N100, 000, but the driver started begging that he had only N40,000 to part with. The government agencies threatened to tow the vehicle to their office and the vehicle would be confiscated by the government.
“It was at that stage that the driver and his younger brother said that they would pay the sum of N70,000 and the officials insisted that he must pay the N100,000 or he would regret it. One of the officials told the driver that he should go to a nearby POS to withdraw the money and give it to them and he would be given back his vehicle.
“It was while the negotiation was going on that another vehicle which the driver was running away from LASTMA for also driving on BRT lane hit the Toyota Corolla car and his younger brother and drove away. The Corolla car driver died on the spot while his brother, who was badly injured, was rushed to the hospital.
“The action of passersby and angry marketers who claimed the LASTMA officials and their police escorts always use the BRT lane at that particular Bus Stop to milk unsuspecting motorist who always make mistakes of entering the BRT lane got angry and said that enough is enough and chased the government officials, who escaped by the whiskers”.
Newsmen who visited the scene learnt that scores of angry protesters barricaded the BRT lane with the Corolla car and other items.
A trader along the road said: “Look at the road, are there any signs to show that it is a BRT lane? If you are not conversant with the road, while descending from Abule Egba bridge en route Iyana- Ipaja there is no way that the innocent driver will not enter the BRT lane.
“The Police and LATSMA have been using the means to rob unsuspecting motorists of their hard earned money.“
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