Tag: Olalekan Bakare-Oki

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LASTMA bans illegal parking for Lagos cross-over night

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has officially banned all forms of indiscriminate parking and road obstruction as the state prepares for the massive influx of commuters during the upcoming 2025 – 2026 Cross-Over Night celebrations.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, the agency revealed a “zero-tolerance” stance against motorists who convert public roads into parking lots or event spaces.

Addressing the expected surge in activities at worship centers, nightclubs, and event venues, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, warned that the agency is ready to enforce traffic laws strictly.

“LASTMA strongly condemns the abuse of public road infrastructure through its conversion into improvised parking spaces or informal event venues, describing such acts as egregious violations of traffic regulations with far-reaching implications for public safety, emergency response and urban mobility”, Bakare-Oki said.

To manage the “exponential increase” in movements, Bakare-Oki disclosed that a specialised enforcement framework has been activated.

This, according to him, includes the recently inaugurated ‘LASTMA 24-Hour Night Gangs’, a dedicated unit of trained officers and surveillance teams tasked with clearing flashpoints across the state.

The agency further appealed to the leadership of religious institutions and social hubs to take responsibility for their guests’ vehicles, rather than allowing them to spill onto major carriageways.

Bakare-Oki stressed that the success of the night depends on mutual cooperation between the public and enforcement officers.

“Collective compliance remains indispensable to the realisation of a peaceful, orderly and seamlessly managed cross-over night across Lagos State”, he said.

LASTMA urged residents to remain patient and cooperative as the agency works to maintain order.

In the event of traffic-related emergencies, members of the public are advised to contact the LASTMA toll-free hotline at 0800 005 27862 for real-time intervention. (Punch)

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Two die as diesel tanker explodes in Lagos on Christmas Day

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has announced a fatal tanker explosion involving a Mack Truck conveying diesel, which occurred in the early hours of today at the Oto-Ijanikin axis, in the vicinity of the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), inward Agbara, along the Badagry Expressway, Lagos.

Preliminary findings from security investigations indicate that the unfortunate incident was caused by excessive speed, as the tanker driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while attempting to overtake another road user.

The vehicle subsequently crashed and erupted into a raging inferno, tragically trapping and claiming the lives of the driver and an adult female occupant.

LASTMA personnel who were actively monitoring vehicular movement within the corridor secured and cordoned off the affected stretch of the expressway to forestall secondary incidents, while immediately notifying the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (Ojo Unit), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Ijanikin Police Division for urgent emergency response and security reinforcement.

The LASTMA operatives prevented members of the public who had converged on the scene with containers from scooping the spilt diesel. This timely intervention effectively averted a potential escalation of the tragedy before the arrival of other emergency and security agencies.

Following the successful containment of the blaze and clearance by relevant authorities, the severely burnt tanker was evacuated from the expressway by LASTMA personnel to prevent further road mishaps along the busy transport corridor, while FRSC removed the remains of burnt bodies.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed sorrow and extended condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased, particularly poignant during this festive season.

He described the incident as deeply painful and entirely avoidable, reaffirming the Authority’s steadfast commitment to road safety and the sanctity of human life.

Bakare-Oki further underscored the urgent necessity for tanker and articulated vehicle drivers to exercise heightened caution, observe prescribed speed limits and comply strictly with all traffic regulations, noting that reckless driving and speeding remain dominant factors in fatal road traffic crashes across the metropolis.

He also seized the opportunity to caution members of the public against the dangerous and irresponsible practice of scooping petroleum/Diesel products from accident scenes, emphasising that such conduct poses grave and far-reaching risks to both individuals and the general public. (Guardian)

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Reckless driver kills LAWMA worker in Lagos

A female street sweeper was killed on Saturday morning after a commercial bus driver struck her while reversing illegally on a busy Lagos highway.

The incident, which occurred along Meiran Road toward the Iyana Ekoro axis, has reignited concerns over the safety of environmental workers on the city’s increasingly hazardous roads.

According to a statement from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the victim, an operative of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), was performing her routine cleaning duties when she was hit by a blue Ford commercial bus.

Preliminary findings suggest the driver, whose vehicle was laden with crates of bottled beverages, was attempting a grossly negligent reversing manoeuvre on the expressway. The impact of the collision, specifically to the head, resulted in the worker’s immediate death.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, the driver reportedly fled the scene in an attempt to evade arrest. However, LASTMA officers on surveillance duty nearby launched a pursuit, successfully intercepting the vehicle and apprehending the suspect.

The intervention came just as a crowd of onlookers began to gather; officials noted that the prompt arrest likely saved the driver from mob action by enraged witnesses. Both the driver and the vehicle have since been handed over to the Meiran Police Division for investigation.

General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said the incident was a distressing and entirely preventable occurrence.

“Reversing on an expressway is not just a traffic offence, it is a blatant contravention of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law that carries terminal consequences.”

Mr Bakare-Oki extended condolences to the victim’s family and colleagues, while reaffirming the agency’s resolve to prosecute reckless driving.

The remains of the deceased were evacuated by LAWMA officials for further procedures.

In other news, two persons lost their lives and three others sustained critical injuries following a multi-vehicle collision involving a Dangote Silo Mixer Truck at Iyana Meiran, Lagos, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed.

LASTMA, in a statement by its Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, said that the accident occurred on Meiran Road, near the Primary Health Centre (PHC), when the mixer truck, reportedly travelling at high speed, experienced a sudden brake failure and veered uncontrollably into a commercial mini-bus (EPP 541 YF) and four tricycles (KTU 360 QN, LND 444 QL, LSR 444 QN, and EKY 122 QP). The impact left the vehicles mangled and trapped passengers within the wreckage.

“Preliminary security findings revealed that the tragic occurrence was triggered by a Dangote Silo Mixer Truck which, while being operated at an inordinately high speed, suffered a sudden brake failure and consequently lost control,” the statement said. (Guardian)

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LASG diverts traffic for Ogudu-Ifako Bridge repair

The Lagos State Government has announced the commencement of the second phase of the rehabilitation works on the Ogudu–Ifako Bridge in the Kosofe Local Government Area, following the completion of the first phase.

The second phase entails the restoration of the bridge’s expansion joints inbound Lagos Island, and is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, till October 1, 2025.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said in a Sunday statement that motorists commuting along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway/Lagos Toll Gate axis inbound Oshodi and Victoria Island would be subjected to a controlled diversion at the Ogudu–Ifako Bridge.

“In this regard, vehicular traffic will be streamlined into a single lane approximately 50 metres before the designated work zone, with full access restored 50 metres beyond the construction site,” the statement signed by LASTMA’s spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, said.

He noted that motorists heading to Oshodi may use the Ojota Slip Road, linking to Ikorodu Road inbound Anthony (by Taxi Park).

“Motorists bound for Victoria Island may conveniently divert through Ojota Slip Road, merging onto Ikorodu Road inbound Anthony (by Town Planning Way), then connecting to Gbagada and accessing the Third Mainland Bridge inbound Lagos Island. An additional alternative exists via Ikorodu Road inbound Funsho Williams Avenue, affording direct ingress to Eko Bridge en route to Lagos Island.”

The GM advised motorists coming from Ikeja and adjoining areas to traverse through Maryland, connect with Ikorodu Road/Funsho Williams Avenue, and proceed via Eko Bridge to Outer Marina and adjoining corridors.

“Alternatively, they may link Ikorodu Road inbound Anthony (by Taxi Park) to Oshodi and pursue their onward destinations,” he said.

Oki emphasised that LASTMA officers had been strategically deployed across the affected corridors to ensure vehicular fluidity, enforce lane discipline, and guarantee swift operational response to emergencies.

“Motorists are profoundly enjoined to exercise patience, prudence, and civic obligation, as the partial closure of the bridge represents a vital component of the state’s overarching traffic management architecture designed to deliver enduring infrastructural dividends for the collective well-being of Lagosians,” he added. (Punch)