Six suspected miscreants have been arraigned for allegedly orchestrating a violent assault on officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and other allied agencies during a midnight enforcement operation along Airport Road, Lagos.
The suspects were brought before the Chief Magistrate of the Lagos State Mobile Court on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, and charged separately on four counts arising from the incident. The court adjourned the matter to February 19, 2026, for further hearing.
One of the defendants, who pleaded not guilty, was admitted to bail, while the other suspects were remanded in custody pending the continuation of proceedings.
The enforcement exercise, which led to the impoundment of 56 vehicles, was carried out to curb persistent traffic infractions and environmental violations in the area.
The vehicles seized comprised 44 commercial buses, five private cars and seven trucks.
The late-night operation was personally supervised by the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, and executed jointly with security operatives, the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Corps, the Lagos State Task Force and LASTMA field officers.
Officials said the exercise followed repeated complaints from the Nigerian Airport Authority (NPA) over illegal activities and encroachment on its facilities by criminal elements and non-compliant commercial drivers operating in violation of existing regulations.
The NPA was said to have expressed concern that the activities of the illegal operators had become a major nuisance along the airport corridor, citing frequent incidents of harassment, intimidation and dispossession of unsuspecting members of the public.
During the operation, five officers attached to the joint task force were reportedly attacked with dangerous weapons by the suspects.
In an apparent attempt to disrupt the exercise, one of LASTMA’s tow trucks was allegedly set ablaze.
Despite the resistance and threat to lives and public assets, enforcement officers were said to have displayed restraint, professionalism and courage in the course of the operation.
Reacting to the incident, Mr Bakare-Oki reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s resolve to protect critical infrastructure, ensure the safety of road users and uphold law and order across the state.
He warned that the government would not succumb to intimidation or tolerate violence from criminal elements, stressing that acts of lawlessness would attract decisive legal action.
The LASTMA chief further assured residents that enforcement activities along key and strategic corridors in Lagos would continue unabated, in collaboration with sister agencies, to curb criminality, restore order and safeguard lives and property across the metropolis
