LASTMA nabs bullion van driver, security escorts flee as Giwa enforces traffic discipline

Special Adviser, Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, has once again demonstrated the unwavering commitment of the Sanwo-Olu administration to enforce traffic discipline, following the apprehension of a bullion van driver who brazenly violated a one-way traffic regulation in Lagos.

According to the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, the driver, identified as Mr. Daniel Ikede, was intercepted earlier yesterday for unlawfully driving against the legally designated flow of traffic — an offence expressly prohibited under the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, and widely regarded as one of the most dangerous traffic violations on Lagos roads.

The incident occurred along the Chevron axis while the bullion van was reportedly moving from First Bank en route to Ajah.

Upon interception and interrogation by operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Ikede admitted that he drove against traffic while trailing a police escort vehicle that had accompanied the bullion van from its point of departure.

While the bullion van was successfully apprehended through the swift and decisive intervention of LASTMA officers, members of the police escort team allegedly fled the scene immediately, abandoning the driver and evading arrest.

Reacting to the development, Hon. Sola Giwa expressed deep displeasure over the incident, describing the act as a reckless display of impunity and an unacceptable abuse of perceived privilege.

He stated unequivocally that no vehicle, individual or institution is above the law, regardless of status, operational responsibility or the presence of security escorts.

According to him, driving against traffic — popularly known as one-way driving — remains one of the most lethal traffic offences in Lagos, often leading to fatal accidents, loss of lives, destruction of property and severe disruption of vehicular movement.

Hon. Giwa reaffirmed that the Lagos State Government, under the visionary leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will continue to enforce traffic regulations with firmness, fairness and zero tolerance for lawlessness.

“The era of impunity on our roads is over. Security escorts do not confer immunity. Every road user must obey traffic laws without exception,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, LASTMA used the opportunity to remind all motorists — private, commercial, corporate and security-assisted — that compliance with traffic laws is mandatory and non-negotiable.

The Authority warned that any attempt to flout established regulations would be met with swift and decisive enforcement in line with the state’s commitment to protecting lives and ensuring seamless mobility across the metropolis.

The apprehended driver and the bullion van have since been taken into custody and will be prosecuted accordingly in line with existing laws.