A ‘cold war’ appears to brewing between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, following the confiscation of a utility vehicle belonging to Obasanjo Farms.
This is coming as the protest against the Lagos State Road Traffic Law by commercial motorcyclists (popularly called Okada) Tuesday spread to other parts of the metropolis, leaving at least one bus belonging to LAGBUS Asset Management Limited damaged.
Also, pandemonium erupted Tuesday at the Alakuko area of the state, following the alleged killing of a commercial motorcyclist, and injuring another by one of the policemen allegedly attached to Alakuko Police Station, Area G, Ogba Command.
However, it was gathered that the Obasanjo Farms vehicle was impounded by officials of the state Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) over the weekend, for contravening the traffic law.
Though Obasanjo was alleged to have made efforts to get the vehicle released, which proved abortive, the action was, however, said to have led to the forceful seizure of 10 LAG buses, which were alleged to have been taken into the premises of Obasanjo Farms between last week Friday and Sunday.
However, effort to get the Chief Executive of LASTMA, Mr. Young Arabamen, to comment on the development proved abortive as his secretary said he was in a meeting.
Equally, the protest was said to have started very early Tuesday at Kola Bus Stop along the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, following alleged arrests and extortion of commercial motorcyclists by law enforcement agencies.
Despite the protest, security operatives attached to the state Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit and Rapid Response (RRS) were said to have stepped up the enforcement of the traffic law, an outcome of which led to impounding of about 3,000 commercial motorcycles in different parts of the state.
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Since last weekend, about 10 LAG buses belonging to the Lagos State Government have been impounded in Ota, Ogun State and packed in Obasanjo Farms. This happened in retaliation over the confiscation of a utility vehicle last Friday belonging to Obasanjo Farms owned by the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
I heard that the vehicle belonging to Obasanjo Farms was seized by the officials of Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) for contravening traffic law and after Obasanjo’s efforts failed to get the vehicle released, even personally calling Fashola and I was reliably informed that the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola turned down Obasanjo’s pleas for the release of his vehicle but instead advised him that his company should obey the law.
Obasanjo's company allegedly instigated some miscreants to forcefully seize over 10 LAG buses that crossed the Lagos-Ogun boundary in Ota and following the alleged seizure of the LAG buses, the management of the bus company has halted all further operations to Ota axis until further notice.
