The Lagos State government has said that it will prosecute five persons arrested for attacking and injuring four officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in Ikeja, the state capital.
The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, who made this known in a statement issued on Thursday said that four LASTMA officers were seriously injured during the attack.
Taofiq said that the state government has finalised preparations to prosecute the five persons, adding that they assaulted the LASTMA personnel during an enforcement operation in the Oba Akran Avenue area of Ikeja.
He said that on Tuesday, LASTMA operatives conducted an operation to remove illegally parked Viju Milk trucks on Oba Akran Avenue in response to numerous complaints from the public about the trucks causing traffic congestion.
“During the operation, four LASTMA officers sustained serious injuries from weapons wielded by Viju Milk truck drivers and local miscreants.
"While Lastma operational vehicles were vandalized, 54 Viju Milk truck were evacuated by Lastma during the enforcement operations.
“The police, working alongside LASTMA, arrested five of these individuals (Falomo Oluwafemi, Afeniyi Stephen, Olamide Adekunle, Chukwu Guaja Eze and Adeshina Sulaimon) seized various weapons including broken bottles, iron rods, charms, knives, and cutlasses.
“The injured LASTMA officers were promptly taken to the hospital for medical attention.
“Hon. Sola Giwa, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, stated that the arrested individuals would be prosecuted by the government as a deterrent to others.”