Dare Babalola
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has issued a statement regarding a video circulating on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) via handle @dammiedammi, depicting an altercation between a LASTMA official and an Uber driver.
The Authority clarified that the incident is not recent and has been previously addressed.
In a press release signed by Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, on Friday, the agency stated that the incident first surfaced on February 11, 2023, and was promptly investigated.
Taofiq said following a comprehensive investigation, the officials involved were summoned for interrogation and subsequently disciplined in line with Public Service Rules (PSR) in 2023.
LASTMA emphasised that the recirculated video is a misrepresentation of facts and urged the public to disregard it, as it bears no relevance to present realities.
The agency expressed regret that the video has been stripped of its context and presented as a fresh case, with the intention to distort public perception and malign the image of the Agency.
The statement read partly, “The management of the Agency does not trivialize anything that does not reflect the policy, procedure and laid down guidelines in its operations. The Authority therefore finds it both regrettable and misleading that a long-resolved case would resurface on social media, stripped of its context and presented as a fresh case, in a manner capable of distorting public perception and with the tendentious intention to malign the image of the Agency.”
LASTMA reassured the public of its commitment to professionalism, humane traffic regulation, and continuous public enlightenment in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities across Lagos State.
The agency also appreciated the public for their cooperation and support during the “LASTMA 24-HOUR NIGHT GANGS” operations executed across the State throughout the 2025 “Detty December” period.
The statement concluded, “The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority remains steadfast in its unwavering commitment to professionalism, humane traffic regulation and continuous public enlightenment in the diligent discharge of its statutory responsibilities across Lagos State.”
Recall that a video surfaced online recently where a white woman rewarded the Uber driver following an alleged harassment by a LASTMA officer during their trip.
According to her account, the traffic officer reportedly entered the driver’s car and seized his keys, while the driver struggled to retrieve them. Unaware he was being recorded, the incident continued until they eventually reached the woman’s destination.
Moved by the experience, the woman later rewarded the driver, explaining that she did not want him to feel like his day had been completely ruined by the encounter.
