Soldiers yet to be identified beat a member of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in Ojota, in what appears to be a retaliatory attack.
In a viral video that was shared on X (formerly Twitter), the LASTMA official was repeatedly punched and slammed to the ground by more than four masked soldiers. They were also joined by three men who appeared to be civilians.
Despite his plea for mercy, one of the soldiers was seen kicking him with his boot as other LASTMA officers fled the area.
In another viral video that surfaced last week, an army officer who had just gotten off a ‘Korope’ commercial minibus is seen fighting with a LASTMA officer, it is unclear what led to the fight between the two law enforcement officers. .
He video it showed the traffic officer beating the soldier with his club and some civilians trying to intervene.
Screenshot of viral video of LASTMA officer beating a soldier
It appeared that the two officers may have had a verbal exchange that caused the soldier to get off the bus. The cause of the altercation is unclear.
Contacted, Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA spokesperson’s phone was disconnected.
A Nigerian military spokesman, Onyema Nwachukwu, did not return calls seeking comment about the clash.
However, talking to the punch newspaper, Mr. Nwachukwu described the confrontation as “disturbing” and “too much”.
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“Nigerian Army authorities are genuinely concerned and are embarking on a vigorous awareness campaign to educate our personnel on the need to ensure compliance with traffic rules and promote inter-agency synergy and cooperation in Lagos State. and throughout the country,” he said. saying.
“In order to control our personnel, the military police have also been mandated to carry out Operation Checkmate by conducting intermittent surveillance to identify and arrest personnel who violate traffic regulations or are found to be engaging in any adverse activity.
“The disturbances point to the fact that there is a need to strengthen inter-agency cooperation between security agencies in Lagos.
“Those who enforce the rules must be equally sensitized not to take the law into their own hands by assaulting or physically beating violators. This, in most cases, escalates the situation and results in a violent confrontation.”
For his part, the spokesman for the 81st Division of the Nigerian Army, Olabisi Ayeni, said the clash was being investigated.
There are many cases of Nigerian military personnel and police attacking officials of paramilitary agencies for enforcing the mandate for which they were constitutionally created.
And so far, no measure has effectively stopped the threat.
In November 2022, Nigerian army soldiers beat police officers and traffic officers along the Eko Bridge in Lagos.
According to the information gathered, the soldiers were traveling in one direction when the two agents stopped their vehicle and ordered them to go back and take the right lane.
Reacting to the incident at the time, Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesman, said: “Everything is fine now and our man is receiving treatment at a hospital.
“Both parties have apologized to each other and there is no cause for alarm. The situation is under control.
“The Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police in Lagos State will continue to coexist in harmony.”
In January 2022, overzealous police officers allegedly mistreated, harassed and handcuffed a LASTMA officer, Odugbemi Eyitayo, in the Yaba area of the state for the execution of traffic offences.
Again in December 2021, a LASTMA official was attacked by some policemen who violated traffic regulations.
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