12th February, 2015
Kazeem Ugbodaga
There was tension at the old tollgate on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Thursday morning as a large number of FERMA/SURE-P taskforce members took over the expressway to direct traffic, causing serious gridlock.
Officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, have to withdraw temporarily as they were driven away from the road.
Over 100 FERMA taskforce members stormed the road around 11 a.m. to direct traffic. It was gathered that when LASTMA officers told motorists to move on, the FERMA taskforce would ask them not to move.
P.M.NEWS correspondent saw the FERMA taskforce at the tollgate directing traffic and taking over from LASTMA officials who withdrew and stayed at a distance.
A LASTMA source told P.M.NEWS that the FERMA taskforce came with four armed policemen to take over control of traffic on the road.
Men of the Anti-One Way Squad Enforcement Unit were seen on the highway trying to ensure that there was no conflict on the road.
LASTMA authorities had told its officers to maintain decorum and ensure that they did not retaliate if attacked.
A top police officer who craved annonymity told P.M.NEWS that there was chaos on the road in the morning when the taskforce stormed the area but said we should get in touch with the State Police Command for official information about the development.
Police Public Relations Officer, Ken Nwosu when contacted said he would find out about the issue but he never called back.
However, as at the time of filing this report, LASTMA officers had gradually begun to get back to the road to ease the traffic congestion.