By Olasunkanmi Akoni

CRISIS erupted at the Mile 2 office of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA ( Zone 22) at the weekend, when some officials of the Nigeria Customs  launched an attack on men of the agency, vandalized four vehicles and destroyed valuables within the LASTMA premises.

The  customs officers from the  Apapa Area command of the Nigeria Customs Service, were said to have invaded the yard to ask for release of a vehicle that was  impounded for driving in a direction prohibited by Law (one way) at Coconut area of Mile 2, Lagos.

The invasion of LASTMA office was as a result of the arrest of a wine-coloured  Honda Pilot Sport Utility Vehicle, SUV,  with registration number LAGOS  EKY 521 CZ believed to belong to a senior  Customs officer which was impounded  about 9:15am on that fateful day for driving against traffic and taken into the LASTMA yard.

Subsequently, an hour after the arrest,  a group of customs officials in convoy of three patrol vehicles fully armed with automatic rifles led by an officer who introduced himself as a Deputy Comptroller, stormed the LASTMA yard reportedly inflicted injuries on officials on sight.
The vans they brought bore the mark of the Apapa Area Command.

An official of the agency, Mr.  Musiliu Edu and a police Corporal Saliu Isiaka were severely battered for recording the  act and their  cameras seized at gunpoint.
Another official of the agency, Wensu Idowu was  hit in the mouth with a gun butt and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The LASTMA Zonal Head,  Victor Adeyanju recounted that the officers who were all in uniform stormed the office and demanded for the unconditional release of their colleague’s vehicle but were informed that there is a standard procedure for the release of vehicles.

“This angered the customs officers causing them to intensify the beating and dragging of our men on the floor and the threat not to leave the premises without the impounded vehicle,” Adeyanju said.
According to an eyewitness, pandemonium actually broke out when the invading customs officers started shooting sporadically and held people inside the offices hostage while those outside  the yard ran  for safety to avoid being hit by stray bullets.

It took the concerted effort of the police from Festac Police Division led by the Divisional Crime Officer, Superintendent of Police, simply called Ifeanyi and his team to restore normalcy.
The customs officers, however, escaped on the way to the station but one of their official patrol vehicles was impounded and taken to the Festac Police Station while the impounded  SUV was deposited at the LASTMA headquarters.

The officers who hurriedly left forgot a name tag belonging to one Audu A.A.
Also expended bullet shells littered the LASTMA yard.

Meantime, the Apapa Area Command’s spokesman when contacted told Vanguard that although there was a minor issue with some LASTMA officials the command and traffic agency’s management are sorting the issue out.