General Manger of LASTMA, Mr. Babatunde Edu 

By Chiemelie Ezeobi and Ada Igboanugo

The alleged murder of 33-year-old Hammed Balogun, an official with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), by a female banker with Standard IBTC Bank, one Yinka Johnson has continued to create ripples especially with her  detention along with her three-month old baby, Debby.

According to information made available to THISDAY, the banker had recently resumed work after the compulsory three months maternity leave before the unfortunate incident occurred.

Due to the sensitive nature of the case and the minor involved, Project Alert, a non-governmental organisation and some legal luminaries were Friday present at the State Criminal and Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, to wade into the matter.

It will be recalled that the incident, which happened on Friday morning along the Lekki-Ajah Expressway, Lagos State, was said to have occurred when the female banker, in a bid to escape arrest for violating road traffic rules, allegedly crushed the deceased to death.

The General Manger of LASTMA, Mr. Babatunde Edu, in statement had confirmed the incident noting that the deceased was carrying out his official assignment alongside his Head of Operations, Mr. Quayum Asafa, when he was crushed to death.

Reacting to the family’s claims that the banker was not responsible for the death of the LASTMA official, Edu when contacted Friday maintained that the suspect is to blame.

He said: “We maintain exactly what we said the day the incident happened. That the family members are disputing our report is not the case because we have pictures and eyewitness accounts to work with.”

He said the driver fled the scene after crushing the LASTMA official to death, adding that she was later arrested with the help of the Area J Commander, ACP Felix Vwamhi.

He said; "The suspect whose identity was revealed by the Auto Inspector device as Yinka Johnson a staff of IBTC drove in a Green Landover Jeep SUV with registration Plate number CY 276 LSD against traffic from Mega chicken inward toll Plaza two."

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/lastma-official-amp-8217-s-death-police-detain-banker-3-month-old-baby/122214/