Yabatech Students Batter LASTMA Men

Students of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria have attacked the headquarters of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, at Oshodi and two of its offices at Iponri and Fadeyi.

The irate students carried out the attacks after the Students Union bus was seized by for plying the BRT Lane.

The students were said to have stormed the LASTMA office at Oshodi with three buses, vandalised four vehicles and injured some LASTMA officers. The police have to use teargas to disperse the belligerent students.

At the Fadeyi office of LASTMA, an official of the authority, Mr. Obasanmi Oladimeji, was abducted by the students and was released last night when the school authorities intervened.

Trouble started when the student’s union red Mazda bus with no registration plate number and inscripted with “Yaba College of Technology Students Union Government” Wednesday violated the BRT law by taking the dedicated lane and was stopped at post office bus stop inward Oyingbo.  The eight occupants, including the union leader, Adesola  Ademola  became unruly and resisted arrest when stopped by the head of the operation, Zone 15, Mr. Kayode Odunuga, but with the intervention of the Anti-Robbery Squad attached to Denton Police Station, the vehicle was taken to LASTMA yard.

General Manager, LASTMA, Engr. Babatunde Edu said on getting to the LASTMA yard, the students union leader became remorseful and pleaded for the release of the bus and also explained that they were on their way to a meeting at Marina.

He stated that the agency listened to their plight and directed that an undertaking should be written so as to detail the incident and also prevent future occurrence.

The general manager added that the head of operations gave this directive through telephone conversation and listed the conditions for the release of the vehicle which included the use of the student union letter head paper in stating their demand for the release of the vehicle, fully stamped and attachment of the student union identity card.

Ademola pleaded and explained that the only letter head paper with them inside the bus was a photocopy and on compassionate ground his plight and request were obliged.

The union leader in his undertaking regretted the union’s action and pledged not to repeat such undesirable act in the future and the bus was released on compassionate ground with no fine charged.

Edu decried the chaotic attitude of the students who prevented the officers from carrying out their duties by invading the zone and attacking them.

According to him, a commuter bus and the controversial union bus was used in carrying out the attack yesterday morning.

He said the joint efforts of the Nigeria Police at Iponri and LASTMA police brought the charged atmosphere under control.

“Four impounded vehicles were vandalised and serious injuries inflicted on the officials on sight. The students fled when the police arrived at the scene,” he said.

Meanwhile, 27-year old Joshua Toba was arrested at the Iponri office of LASTMA. The suspect who claimed to be an electrician at the Yaba College of Technology followed the students after he was convinced that they were going to the LASTMA office for settlement.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga