Nigerian Army Reacts To Brutal Confrontation Between Soldiers And LASTMA Officers (VIDEOS)

Eko Hot Blog reports that the Nigerian Army has berated yet-to-be-identified soldiers for attacking an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA).

Viral videos on social media on Monday showed the soldiers with scarves to conceal their identities, and at least two civilians, one of whom also masked his face, attacking a LASTMA official. The incident reportedly happened last Friday.

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While the LASTMA official kept screaming for leniency, one of the soldiers was seen repeatedly kicking him with his boot.

Although the cause of the brawl was not immediately clear as of press time, one of the videos showed a LASTMA official dragging a soldier out of the front seat of a commercial bus and beating him with his stick.

Reacting to the incident, the Nigerian army’s spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the army was working to educate its officials on the need to obey traffic laws.

Nwachukwu, who expressed displeasure with the conduct of the soldiers said, the army was working to identify and arrest personnel who violate traffic rules or are “found engaging in any untoward activity.”

“I must say it is disturbing that the soldiers/LASTMA conflict is now one too many. The authorities of the Nigerian Army are genuinely concerned and are embarking on a vigorous sensitisation campaign to educate our personnel on the need to ensure compliance with traffic rules and promote synergy and interagency cooperation in Lagos State and around the country,” he said.

“To rein in our personnel, the military police have also been mandated to conduct Operation Checkmate by carrying out intermittent surveillance to identify and arrest personnel who violate traffic rules or are found engaging in any untoward activity. The altercations are pointing to the fact that there is a need to strengthen interagency cooperation amongst the security agencies in Lagos.

“Those enforcing the rules must equally be sensitised not to take laws into their hands by physically assaulting or battering offenders. This, more often than not, escalates the situation and results in a violent confrontation.

On his part, the spokesperson for LASTMA, Taofeek Adebayo, told Punch that his agency would respond in due time.

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“Be patient with me; it is a sensitive matter. I have to get clearance,” Adebayo said on Monday.

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