A Lagos State-based journalist, Osa Director, Esq has petitioned the General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), over what he described as an “ambush, illegal arrest, and detention” of his vehicle.
In the petition titled: “Petition against the ambush, illegal arrest, and detention of my vehicle,” which was dated August 25, 2023, Osa decried the intimidation of the officials of LASTMA and the policemen attached to them.
Explaining the harassment and seizure of the vehicle, the journalist cum lawyer stated, “I wish to bring to your attention the outright ambush, illegal arrest, and detention of my SUV vehicle, Ford Edge with registration number KSF 47GJ in a most undignified manner by LASTMA officials and policemen attached to the transport management outfit in Lagos State.
“On Thursday, 24th August, 2023, I was driven to the park of ‘God Is Good Motors‘, GIGM, at lyana Ipaja, by my mechanic who was to take the car for repairs thereafter. I was booked to leave for Benin City by GIGM at 7:30 a.m.
“Sadly, when we arrived at the park, two GIGM vehicles were on the designated lanes reserved for parking on the roadside. Another GIGM motor was parked beside, thereby creating double parking.”
He noted that on sighting the development, he disembarked from the vehicle, and parked behind the two GIGM vehicles on the proper parking lot with his mechanic inside, which according to him was quite a distance and entry point of the adjourning compound to the GIGM.
“But to my surprise,” he further stated, “as my mechanic who never came down from the car as the ignition was on made to move away, we saw the GIGM driver on the double parking lane rush into his car and accelerate.
“In the process, he blocked my driver who was negotiating to enter the road.”
Regrettably, Osa said two policemen and two LASTMA officials in Gestapo fashion, dashed out from beside the GIGM vehicle and blocked his car from exiting.
“When I turned and approached the Police officer who led the team to ask why they obstructed my vehicle’s right of way, he said that the car was under arrest for double parking. While not admitting to his allegations? I asked if that was even true, why did the officers not arrest the GIGM vehicle that was in front.
“He replied, “I didn’t see that one, this is the vehicle I saw.”
“Shockingly, in a bid to fish for evidence, they only started videoing the vehicle after the departure of the GIGM vehicle that was in front, which they used to block my vehicle to effect the arrest.”
More worrisome he explained was their decision to “yank off” the mechanic from the steering wheel and zoomed off with the vehicle to an unknown destination with all the valuables and money inside it.
“The valuables and money inside the vehicle include the sum of $1,700 (One Thousand Seven Hundred dollars), a Samsung phone, and an expired travelling passport belonging to my wife,” he further stated, adding. “Since I didn’t know where they took the vehicle, I decided to proceed on my journey to Benin City while the mechanic/driver was directed to go to Alausa.
“He was at Alausa and Anifowoshe in Ikeja before he eventually located the vehicle at the Agege office of LASTMA. There is no gainsaying the fact that their action was barbaric and antediluvian in this modern age of technology to physically ambush a vehicle and drive it to an unknown destination,” he narrated.
Osa, however, appealed to the Managing Director LASTMA to use his good offices to release his vehicle and ensure that the above-stated valuables and money were intact inside the vehicle.