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Chaos erupted at the super area of Abule-Egba, Lagos, on Tuesday as youths protesting the death of a motorist clashed with officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and a police escort team.
The protesters accused LASTMA officials and the police of being responsible for the death of the motorist, who was reportedly killed after being struck by another vehicle while trying to evade arrest for driving on the BRT lane.
An eyewitness stated that the deceased, along with his younger brother, was apprehended by LASTMA officials for violating the BRT lane rule.
The witness claimed that the driver was asked to pay N100,000 for his release, but in an attempt to negotiate a lower amount of N70,000, another vehicle, also caught for the same violation, collided with the stationary Toyota vehicle, hitting the two men.
The driver was said to have died on the spot, while his brother was rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
Another witness, identified only as Dave, revealed that the driver had initially offered N40,000, which was rejected by the officials.
“They told him they would tow his car to their office. When he increased the offer to N70,000, they still refused. I overheard the driver telling them his wedding was next week Saturday,” Dave explained. As the negotiation continued, the second vehicle rammed into the Toyota, hitting the driver and his brother.
In the aftermath of the incident, protesters barricaded the BRT lane with the Corolla car, chanting slogans like “No LASTMA, No Police” and threatening to take matters into their own hands if any LASTMA officials or police officers were seen in the area.
As of the time of filing this report, additional police units had arrived at the scene to prevent the situation from escalating further.
However, the protesters continued their chants, defying the police presence.