18 officers were approved, 7,000 vehicles were confiscated in six months

In an effort to enforce laws targeting traffic violations throughout Lagos, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (Lastma) has announced sanctions of 18 personnel and blockages of more than 7,000 vehicles in the first half of 2025.

The agency also issued new warnings for event planners, nightclub operators, and owners of social places for increasing public road abuse for personal functions.

Lastma General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, revealed these numbers during the monitoring tour of the weekend of high traffic zones throughout the city. He explained that confiscated vehicles were confiscated for various violations, including illegal parking, obstruction, reckless driving, and traffic signal violations.

“Lastma has captured more than 54,000 vehicles through our traffic management solutions (TMS) technology. More than 1,000 vehicles left behind were expelled from the road, and more than 700 traffic accidents were recorded in the same period,” Bakare-Oki told reporters.

According to him, the launch of an intelligent enforcement device under his leadership has increased supervision and detection, which leads to a faster response and stronger compliance.

In staff accountability, Bakare-Oki confirmed that disciplinary actions were carried out against 18 officers who were found guilty of violations or violations of the state public service rules.

“The reasonable process is followed in each case. Disciplinary steps are applied in accordance with the rules of the state public service,” he said.

He expressed concern over the practice that developed in using public roads as an extension of private events, especially by social places such as lounges, banquet spaces, and clubs.

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“It is not acceptable for event organizers or business to turn public roads into private parking spaces or block access routes for entertainment purposes,” Bakare-Oki warned.

He stressed that such actions not only created severe traffic jams but also threatened public safety. Facilities found guilty of violating boundaries on public roads or promoting chaos through parking indiscriminately will face immediate sentence – including legal proceedings.

In a step to prevent repeated violations, Boss Lastma directed all zone commanders and monitoring units to increase their operations, increase intelligence efforts, and maintain consistent presence in traffic-prone areas for the weekends and major events.

Bakare-Oki also appealed to the owners of large places to collaborate proactively with the agency by employing licensed traffic handling and sending traffic management plans to be approved before becoming a host of large functions.

“Social events that are not regulated which resulted in traffic congestion to damage public safety and disrupt the economic flow of lagos,” he said.

Reaffirming Lastma’s commitment to justice and professionalism, Bakare-Oki said the agent would continue to uphold zero tolerance policy regarding road abuse in partnerships with security and regulatory authorities.

He concluded: “Enforcement will remain firm, impartial, and rooted in the legal framework.”