by Adeniyi Abdul

Chaos ensued yesterday as students of the Yaba College of Technology allegedly attacked members of the Lagos Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA. The students are said to have abducted a LASTMA official in addition to wounding three others at the  LASTMA Zone 15 Office, Iponri where they also vandalised four impounded vehicles. The students were reportedly seeking retribution for being punished for using the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane.

LASTMA spokesperson Bola Ajao in a statement confirming the incident to The Punch said, “On Wednesday afternoon, an unregistered Mazda bus with the inscription ‘Yaba College of Technology Students’ Union’ was seen using the BRT lane around post office, Oyingbo. The vehicle had eight occupants including one Ademola Adesola, the union’s leader.”

“The students became unruly and refused to cooperate with the LASTMA officials headed by Mr. Kayode Odunuga. So, anti-robbery policemen attached to Denton Police Division immediately rushed to the scene.”

“After the police intervened, the students then co-operated and the vehicle was taken down to LASTMA Zone 15 office at Iponri,” Ajao stated. “On getting there, the students were made to sign an undertaking which must be typed on a Yabatech letter-head paper. Adesola said he did not have an original but a photocopy of a letter-head paper. Based on compassionate grounds, we accepted it and they were allowed to go.”

“On Thursday, however, the students suddenly abducted a LASTMA official, Mr. Obasanmi Oladimeji, who was on duty at Jibowu area. The students then went down to Zone 15 office with two buses; one commercial bus and the red Mazda bus which they used on Wednesday. The students vandalised four impounded vehicles which were on the premises.”

“When the students sighted policemen, they immediately took to their heels but luckily we caught one Joshua Toba, a 27-year-old man. Joshua claimed that he was not a student but an electrician who had been urged by the students to accompany them on a ‘peace mission’.”