Gossips
Danfo Driver Sets Himself and LASTMA Official Ablaze to Avoid Arrest!
There’s a saying that Lagos is a city filled with insane people, perhaps there’s an element of truth to that saying as a jaw-dropping turn of events happened today, a commercial bus driver in Lagos took a crazy measure to evade arrest, setting himself and a Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) official ablaze.
This shocking incident unfolded on November 5, 2024, in the Mile 2 area, leaving residents stunned.Eyewitnesses report that the Danfo driver was pulled over for a traffic violation when tensions escalated. As LASTMA officials attempted to enforce the law, the situation spiraled out of control.
An online video shows a yellow 14-passenger bus parked precariously on the road, surrounded by at least eight traffic officers engaged in a heated argument with the driver. Suddenly, chaos erupted as flames engulfed the driver and some LASTMA officials.
According to witnesses, as two LASTMA officials prepared to drive the bus to their headquarters in Oshodi, the driver resorted to a shocking act of desperation. He doused himself in fuel and ignited a matchstick, leading to bright flames that caught everyone off guard.
In a frantic attempt to escape the flames, a LASTMA official stumbled into traffic, narrowly avoiding being crushed to death by a petrol tanker.
My concern goes thus; Why did the driver feel compelled to resort to such extreme measures? What does this say about the relationship between Lagos citizens and traffic enforcement agencies?
However, this is not the first time this has happened, In 2022, A commercial vehicle driver himself was ablaze in the Papa Ajao Estate area of Lagos, to protest the seizure of his bus by officials of the LASTMA.
When will the Lagos state government take decisive action to stop the grappling with traffic management challenges, this incident underscores the urgent need for reforms within LASTMA and better communication between officials and the public.
