Mobile Courts Remand Six Over Assault On LASTMA Officials

The Lagos State Mobile Courts have ordered the remand of six out of seven suspected miscreants for assault on personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and other sister agencies during a midnight enforcement operation along Airport Road, Lagos.

The enforcement exercise, led by the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, was in collaboration with other government agencies, including security operatives, the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Corps, the Lagos State Task Force, and LASTMA field officers.

A statement by LASTMA’s Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, noted that the exercise was necessitated following formal complaints submitted by the Nigerian Airport Authority (NPA), lamenting the persistent and unlawful encroachment on its facilities by criminals and commercial bus operators, in defiance of extant regulations.

According to Taofiq, management of the NPA reported the activities of the miscreants and illegal operators, which, according to them, had constituted a nuisance at the airport, with recurring reports of harassment, intimidation, and the dispossession of unsuspecting members of the public of their personal effects.

However, Taofiq said during the assault, its officers exercised restraint despite severe provocation and imminent threat to their lives and public assets, leading to an arrest.

Upon arrest, the statement noted that the seven suspects were arraigned on Tuesday, before the Chief Magistrate of the Lagos State Mobile Court on four-count charges.

According to him, one of the defendants, who pleaded not guilty, was consequently granted bail, while the remaining six were remanded in custody.

The matter has been adjourned to February 19, 2026, for further hearing.

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Bakare-Oki reiterated the unwavering resolve of the State to safeguard critical public infrastructure, guarantee the safety of all road users, and uphold law and order across the metropolis.

He warned that the Government would not tolerate violence from criminal elements, stressing that every act of lawlessness would be met decisively with the full weight of the law.

The statement added that in the course of the operation, a total of 56 vehicles were impounded for various traffic and environmental infractions, comprising 44 commercial buses, five private vehicles, and seven trucks.