Bolaji Oreagba, general manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, claims that the trending video showing the agency’s employees driving against the flow of traffic is an old clip.
In the video which went viral on Friday, a man was seen blocking the agency’s officers from driving against traffic in the state’s Oworonshoki Bridge area.
Lagosians, who are frequently targeted by agents of this organization for violating traffic laws, were outraged by the viral video.
One of the prominent individuals that reacted to the resurfacing of the video was the Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, who disclosed that relevant agencies had commenced investigation into the video.
However, In a statement released on Saturday in response to the development, Oreagba stated that the incident took place in 2020, close to Iyana Ipaja, before the #EndSARS demonstration, debunking claims that the incident happened recently.
He further detailed that the officers filmed in the viral video had been sanctioned.
“The attention of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has been drawn to a viral video on Twitter (@OmoGbajaBiamila) where our officers who drove against traffic (one-way) with an o perational vehicle , RTM 08 LA Zone 25 Bariga, was blocked by a private vehicle on Oworonsoki Bridge, Lagos,” the statement partly read.
“The agency hereby states categorically that the video incident occurred in year 2020 before the #ENDSARS protest around Iyana-Oworo. All officers involved have been appropriately sanctioned by the authority.The patrol van with number plate RTM 08 LA, Zone 25 Bariga, seen in the viral video was among LASTMA operational vehicles burnt alongside our office building by #EndSARa protesters at Iyana-Oworo, Lagos. The agency, therefore, urges members of the public to disregard the video that was deployed to embarrass our team of hardworking officers,” it added.
“LASTMA will continue effective monitoring and control of traffic across the state, just as it will not condone indiscipline among any of its personnel.
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