Army Speaks On Soldiers, LASTMA Officers’ Clash In Lagos

The Nigerian Army, on Monday, condemned the attack on an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) in the Ojota area of the state.

Recall that a 31-second viral video captured at least five soldiers, who wore scarves to conceal their identities, attacking a LASTMA official who was on duty.

In the trending video, the soldiers were seen pouncing and beating up the yet-to-be-identified LASTMA official, who pleaded in tears to be spared.

Despite his plea, the soldiers and the civilians descended on the LASTMA official, who had a torn LASTMA uniform and was rolling on the ground, before they fled the scene.

This development comes a week after a LASTMA official was captured assaulting a soldier inside a commercial vehicle popularly called ‘Danfo’ in the Ketu area of the state.

Though the cause of the two clashes was yet to be ascertained as of press time, it is unclear whether the two incidents were related.

Reacting in a chat with The Punch, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu said the institution was working to educate its officials on the need to obey traffic laws.

Nwachukwu stated that the frequent clashes between soldiers and LASTMA officials are really disturbing, adding that the incidents have shown that there is a need to strengthen interagency cooperation amongst the security agencies in Lagos.

He said military police had been mandated to conduct intermittent surveillance to identify and arrest personnel who violate traffic rules or are found engaging in any untoward activity.

He said, “I must say it is disturbing that the soldiers/LASTMA conflict is now one too many. The authorities of the Nigerian Army are genuinely concerned and are embarking on a vigorous sensitisation campaign to educate our personnel on the need to ensure compliance with traffic rules and promote synergy and interagency cooperation in Lagos State and around the country.

“To rein in our personnel, the military police have also been mandated to conduct Operation Checkmate by carrying out intermittent surveillance to identify and arrest personnel who violate traffic rules or are found engaging in any untoward activity. The altercations are pointing to the fact that there is a need to strengthen interagency cooperation amongst the security agencies in Lagos.

“Those enforcing the rules must equally be sensitised not to take laws into their hands by physically assaulting or battering offenders. This, more often than not, escalates the situation and results in a violent confrontation.”