Policeman protests towing of car, shoots at LASTMA office

A policeman, Solomon Awodogan, on Wednesday allegedly shot indiscriminately at the Iponri office of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority to protest the towing of his vehicle by the agency's officials.

PUNCH Metro learnt that LASTMA officials had towed the vehicle after it was parked on the Bus Rapid Transit lane. The General Manager, LASTMA, Mr. Babatunde Edu, said after the shooting, the policeman got itno his vehicle and sped off. Edu said, "The policeman reportedly stormed the Iponri office of LASTMA, shot sporadically and forcibly ran away with his apprehended vehicle. The red Mercedes Benz with number plate JV 23KJA was apprehended at Oyingbo for parking on the BRT dedicated lane, thereby violating the BRT traffic law. "The owner of the vehicle deliberately parked on the dedicated lane without recourse for the established law as it became an impediment for BRT buses to move on the lane. This led to the towing of the vehicle. The Mercedes Benz was booked in accordance with Lagos State Traffic Management Regulation law. "The suspect, who later traced the vehicle to the Iponri office of the agency, wore a cream top on his police trousers and started shooting into the air indiscriminately to scare away the officers and the security men on duty and succeeded in taking away the vehicle from the yard." Edu expressed disappointment that a law enforcement agent could break the law with impunity, adding that such acts of indiscipline could lead to the breakdown of law and order. Edu said the policeman, whose address was traced to 10, Abolade Street, Mushin through the aid of the auto inspector computer software, would be sanctioned accordingly so as to serve as a deterrent to others. When contacted, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, said she was unaware of the incident but promised to find out.