In response to Monday’s attack on an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) by no fewer than five yet-to-be-identified soldiers, the Nigerian Army said that it will launch a campaign to encourage traffic compliance among its soldiers.
In a 31-second viral video, two civilians, one of whom had his face covered, and the military, who were wearing scarves to hide their identity, were seen assaulting a member of the agency’s staff.
The LASTMA official was seen being kicked by a soldier as he continued to cry for mercy.
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The official, who had a torn LASTMA outfit and was rolling on the ground, was repeatedly kicked by the military and people until they abandoned the scene in spite of his pleading for mercy.
Meanwhile, a separate 16-second video posted online on Monday showed a LASTMA official dragging a soldier out of the front seat of a commercial bus and beating him with his stick.
Though the cause of the brawl was yet to be ascertained as of press time, it is unclear whether the two incidents were related.
Reacting, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the Army was working to educate its officials on the need to obey traffic laws.
He said, “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.
“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.”
