Planned Lagos road closure results in clash between Military and LASTMA

An attempt by military personnel to close the busy Adeniji to Falomo Road was met with stiff resistance from officials from the Lagos Traffic Management Authority.

The standoff was initiated by the Federal Controller of Works for Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Keisha, who engaged assistance from  the military men to enforce the road closure for the purpose of rehabilitating certain sections of the road.

LASTMA officials insisted that their superiors should have been informed before the closure, so that the Lagos Ministry of Transportation can communicate the development to the public and make a formal announcement.

According to Omoyeni Oladele, a LASTMA official, “If the road is closed without prior announcement by the state to residents, motorists will endure severe hardship.”

Meanwhile, a senior officer at the Lagos Ministry of Works, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, revealed that this is not the first time the Federal Controller of Works has “employed the military in carrying out her duties.”

“We are aware of the current standoff between LASTMA officials and the Federal Ministry of Works regarding the rehabilitation of the Adeniji to Falomo Road. The conflict arose from the attempt to close a section of the road without proper notification to the public.

“LASTMA officials insist that the road cannot be closed without sufficient notice to the public, while the FMOW, led by the controller, remains adamant about the closure and has engaged military personnel to enforce it,” he further stated.

The standoff, which began at midnight, with LASTMA personnel calling for backup from the task force “could have escalated into a physical confrontation if the military personnel had not exercised restraint.”

The Federal Controller of Works, Mrs Olukorede Keisha, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report for her take on the development.

But the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Transport, Wale Musa, when contacted, confirmed the incident and assured that the ministry was working to resolve the issue.