CRIME
LASTMA Officer Stabbed with Screwdriver by Bus Conductor in Ile-Epo Clash
A commercial bus conductor has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority officer with a screwdriver during a traffic enforcement operation at Ile-Epo, inward Abule-Egba, on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
LASTMA’s spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday.
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According to Taofiq, the suspect, identified as Lekan Olasunkanmi, was taken into custody and handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution.
He said the clash happened when a LASTMA patrol team was clearing traffic obstruction caused by a Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number LSR 989 XG around the Ile-Epo Market corridor.
Taofiq explained that the bus driver resisted the enforcement team. The confrontation escalated when the conductor allegedly picked up a screwdriver and stabbed one of the officers.
“The driver vehemently resisted lawful enforcement. In a shocking turn, the conductor, later identified as Mr. Lekan Olasunkanmi, armed himself with a screwdriver and violently attacked a LASTMA officer, inflicting a stab wound,” the statement said.
The injured officer was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment and is said to be responding positively.
Taofiq added that the case was reported at the Abattoir Police Division, where the suspect is currently being detained.
“During preliminary interrogation, the suspect admitted to bringing out the screwdriver and claimed he mistakenly stabbed the officer during the confrontation,” he stated.
Reacting, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, condemned the attack and warned against assaults on traffic officers.
“Anyone who attacks LASTMA personnel in the line of duty will face the full weight of the law. Our officers are on the road to ensure free flow of traffic and compliance with the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018. Violence against them is an attack on public order and will not be tolerated,” Bakare-Oki said.
He urged motorists, commercial drivers, and transport unions to educate their members on respecting traffic officials, stressing that cooperation is key to a safer and more orderly transport system.
