Metro
Lagos driver flees after setting LASTMA officer on fire
A commercial driver is on the run after causing bodily injuries to an officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority in the Mile 2 area of the state on Tuesday.
The LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to PUNCH Metro on Tuesday.
According to Taofiq, LASTMA operatives had accosted the driver for violating traffic regulations but he resisted arrest.
He noted that in an attempt to evade arrest, the driver sprayed his vehicle and some of the officers who had taken over the vehicle with petrol, set the bus on fire and fled the scene.
Taofiq narrated, “The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has been made aware of a distressing video showing the driver of a Volkswagen T4 commercial bus, licence plate LSD 355 CK, setting both his vehicle and LASTMA officers ablaze in a brazen attempt to evade arrest.
“The vehicle was intercepted for violating traffic regulations in the Cele inward Mile 2 area.
“In the course of the arrest, the driver and his conductor erupted into a frenzy, resorting to pouring petrol on LASTMA personnel and engaging in hostile confrontations and physical attacks against officers present.”
The LASTMA spokesperson added that the injured officer who sustained severe burns was taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
He stressed that the driver and his assistant who perpetrated the assault would be brought to book.
“The injured LASTMA officer, who sustained severe burns, was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.
“The agency strongly urges all commercial and other drivers to comply fully with traffic regulations and respect the authority of LASTMA personnel. LASTMA will not condone any form of violence or intimidation and will take firm and decisive action against those responsible.
He reiterated the agency’s commitment “to preserving order and ensuring the safety of Lagos roads, as stipulated in the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018.”
PUNCH Metro reported a similar incident on October 10 when some soldiers attached to the Ojo Cantonment Barracks led by a yet-to-be-identified colleague, who was accosted for driving against the traffic around Volks Bus Stop, along the Ojo Iyana Iba Road area of Lagos State stabbed a policeman, Saka Ganiyu, to death.
The soldier, who was not wearing his uniform, while driving an unregistered T4 Volkswagen commercial bus against the traffic, was stopped by policemen on enforcement duty at Volks Bus Stop.
Angered by the action of the policemen, the soldier had reportedly contacted some of his colleagues, who were said to have trooped out of the Ojo Cantonment Barracks and attacked the policemen.
A document chronicling the circumstances surrounding the soldiers’ attack on the policemen indicated that Ganiyu sustained varying degrees of injury during the attack and was rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for urgent treatment where he reportedly died.
A fire outbreak on Monday afternoon engulfed a recycling facility operated by Jincheng Company at 11B Eric Moore Road, Surulere, Lagos.
The fire, reported at about 12:15 p.m., drew a prompt response from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service. Firefighters from the Sari-Iganmu Fire Station were the first on the scene, but the intensity of the blaze required reinforcements from the Ajegunle Fire Crew.
Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, stated that the fire began at the rear of the main building and was suspected to have been caused by negligence.
The affected section reportedly housed large quantities of cardboard materials used in the recycling process.
Although the full extent of the damage is yet to be determined, the facility—which spans three acres—suffered significant losses.
“No casualties have been reported so far,” Adeseye confirmed, adding that the situation was under control by the time of reporting, with damping down operations still ongoing.”
Mining marshals of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have shut an illegal mining site in Damau community in Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
NSCDC’s spokesman Babawale Afolabi said the affected site is in a tin-rich area belonging to Trobell Minerals Limited but allegedly overrun by illegal miners.
Afolabi said the corps Commandant-General, Dr. Ahmed Audi, had instructed that effective strategy and approach be put in place to stop illegal miners and address insecurity.
The spokesman noted that the illegal activities of the miners had led to serious economic losses, environmental degradation, and persistent insecurity in the area.
He added that besides reaching out to community leaders, the marshals also adopted non-kinetic means through community engagement to address some challenges.
In a statement in Abuja, Afolabi said the NSCDC engaged traditional leaders and community youths in a series of deliberations to allow the miners to vacate the site under supervision without resistance.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, hailed the mining marshals for peacefully resolving previous clashes at illegal sites in other parts of the country, where enforcement had often turned confrontational.
The minister urged communities across the country to support the Federal Government to stamp out illegal mining.
He sought cooperation with the mining marshals to fish out culprits.
“The Kaduna operation could serve as a model for future interventions, if we get the buy-in of locals and community leaders. Illegal mining and insecurity remain major obstacles to the development of the mining sector.
“However, the outcome in Damau offers a glimpse of how a mix of enforcement and dialogue can turn the tide. I urge communities to cooperate with us to deal with this menace and restore investor confidence in the sector,” he said.
Also, a member of the community, who spoke in confidence, praised the marshals for doing a good job.
“The diplomatic approach is commendable. The activities of the dislodged illegal miners posed a serious threat to lives, livelihoods, and investment. This intervention brings long-awaited relief,” he said.
During the commemoration of the maiden anniversary of the Mining Marshals, Alake had reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to empowering the squad for greater effectiveness.
“The reward for hard work is more work,” he told the operatives, pledging more support.
An operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Isah Yunusa, who was attached to the First Lady of Zamfara State, Hajiya Huriyya Dauda Lawal has been killed by suspected bandits in Kaduna State.
The tragic incident occurred on the night of Sunday, May 4, 2025, along the Kaduna–Kachia highway, when gunmen reportedly mounted a barricade on the road and attacked unsuspecting travellers.
Yunusa, was said to have been caught in the ambush and fatally shot.
His death was confirmed on Monday by conflict journalist and security analyst, Bakatsine, who shared the development via his social media handle.
As of the time of filing this report, the NSCDC is yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
It remains unclear whether Yunusa was on official duty or travelling privately when the attack happened.
The Kaduna–Kachia road has long been considered a hotspot for banditry and kidnappings, with repeated calls by residents and stakeholders for increased security presence along the route.
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