By Gboyega Akinsanmi, Chiemelie Ezeobi and Taye Oye

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.

It was also gathered that one of the commercial motorcyclists was allegedly killed Tuesday at Pen Cinema, Agege when he was trying to escape from law enforcement officers deployed in the area.

But, an eyewitness alleged that the commercial motorcyclist was killed while he was trying, “to escape and ensure that his motorcycle was not impounded the moment he sighted the law enforcement officers heading in his direction.”

The eyewitness added that as the rider was trying “to escape arrest, he quickly rode on his commercial motorcycle towards Ogba-Ijaiye Housing Estate. But the security operatives did not turn back. The officers chased, and in the process, one of the police officers hit the rider with his baton. He collapsed immediately.”

However, the LAGBUS Asset Management Limited, in a bid to reduce the number of vehicles damaged as a result of the protest yesterday suspended operations of its activities in all the areas affected by the anti-traffic law protest.

It was gathered that LAGBUS Managing Director, Mr. Babatunde Disu, said the firm suspended operations in the affected areas in order to check further damage on their buses, though the decision was not a permanent directive.

Meanwhile, the deceased commercial motorcyclist simply identified as Alagede, was allegedly shot dead by a yet-to-be identified police officer allegedly attached to Alakuko Police Station, Area G, Ogba Command.

Also, another motorcyclist was said to have fallen into the gutter, after been chased by some policemen in a patrol van at the Ogba/Pen Cinema area, after trying to evade arrest.

Immediately the news filtered into town, several aggrieved commercial motorcyclists were said to have taken to the street, vandalising state-owned buses and other public property.

bobosydney: Some people in Nigeria or nairaland talk like a "animal or ignorant " for saying that what fashola did is not right. Nobody above the law and that is why Nigeria keep going backward due to lawlessness. It remind me in 2004 when i was in New Zealand when a police pull New Zealand Prime minister ( President )over when he was in car and gave his drive fine for speeding . Can a pocice pull jonathan over in Nigeria over ? that is why people keep suffering in Nigeria and Nigerians will continue suffering as long as we never change our corrupt or lawlessness mentality . I still don't know why people blame the government though , and the is we Nigerians . I speak the truth from my mind .

bobosydney: Some people in Nigeria or nairaland talk like a "animal or ignorant " for saying that what fashola did is not right. Nobody above the law and that is why Nigeria keep going backward due to lawlessness. It remind me in 2004 when i was in New Zealand when a police pull New Zealand Prime minister ( President )over when he was in car and gave his drive fine for speeding . Can a pocice pull jonathan over in Nigeria over ? that is why people keep suffering in Nigeria and Nigerians will continue suffering as long as we never change our corrupt or lawlessness mentality . I still don't know why people blame the government though , and the is we Nigerians . I speak the truth from my mind .

Frank-C:

Guy, watin u dey yearn sef? Police pulled a sitting Prime Minister over from his convoy and got him fined for overspeeding? Prime Minister?? Make your point without bringing up unbelievable scenarios, it sounds ridiculous. But as you have started, what were Mr Prime Minister's security details doing when they 'police pulled him over'? Funny stuff...

2mch: The Ogun State government should order OBJ to release the vehicles. If his vehicles cannot comply with the law of the state then they should be impounded. he is not above the law. And stealing state buses is a crime. Is Baba OBJ willing to go to jail?

President Obama has been slapped with a nearly $200 (£120) fine for not paying London's congestion charge when his motorcade drove through the city in May, The Sun reports.

London charges a toll of between $14.50 and $19.30 (£9-£12) to drive on weekdays in certain parts of the city, according to Transport for London.

Cameras that the city uses to enforce the fee captured the license plate of one of the cars in the President's motorcade, the Daily Mail reports. The other cars, including Obama's armored Cadillac that's nicknamed "The Beast," escaped the fines because they were traveling so close together cameras couldn't capture their plates.

President Obama isn't the only American government official to break the rules. According to the London Standard, the U.S. has collected over $8 million (£5 million) in unpaid congestion fees since the toll was introduced 8 years ago.

The London Evening Standard reports that the city's mayor, Boris Johnson, discussed the unpaid fees at the state dinner at Buckingham Palace. "We had a very friendly conversation," Johnson told the Evening Standard. "Suffice to say discussions will be ongoing."

D-mouthed:



You only talk to the level of your knowledge and that is as a result of your inability to read well b4 commenting

Frank-C:

Guy, watin u dey yearn sef? Police pulled a sitting Prime Minister over from his convoy and got him fined for overspeeding? Prime Minister?? Make your point without bringing up unbelievable scenarios, it sounds ridiculous. But as you have started, what were Mr Prime Minister's security details doing when they 'police pulled him over'? Funny stuff...

homerac7: so many comments showing the root cause of the unfortunate situation Nigeria found herself in.

first, i don't believe d story. otherwise OBJ would hav simply played into d hands of d Fashola by doing so. Imagine Fashola getting court warrant to go search OBJ farms and all his compunds in Lagos and Ogun (afterall, na ACN dey there and they will gladly join in d fray to finally humble OBJ). That will create so much embarassment for him that he will lose lot of respect and goodwill he's enjoying in international circuit. Whatever happens afterwards from PDP federal power will b a bye-news and at best, damage management for immediate time. But by then, OBJ would hav been fully dragged in mud by "children".

I don't think he would want to risk many possibilities of humilation in hands of those governors. so i don't think he would do this.

eGuerrilla:

A chauffeur and two police officers who drove Helen Clark's motorcade as fast as 170 kmh so the New Zealand prime minister could watch the All Blacks beat the Wallabies at rugby have been fined for dangerous driving.

Clark was a backseat passenger in the one of the three cars and has claimed she was so engrossed in reading some paperwork she had no idea how fast they were going.

Nonetheless, the illegal high-speed dash on a South island highway has become an embarrassing campaign issue ahead of New Zealand's September 17 election.

Clark, who is seeking a third term for her Labour government, declined to comment on the sentences handed down in the Timaru District Court today.

Source

omiobo: Fashola go on san!show urself na your time. Dem go shout taya! Na dem get their moutn,if dem like make dem use am mouth chop their poo.

D-mouthed:
Fashola is just a lawyer and not a politician. his knowledge of the law is what has been helping him but now it won't at all.

This is where his pride has come to crash. must every case that could be settled out of the court be taken to the court make show of one's pride?

Fashola is so prideful and its bad. I have followed every detail of this issue and I can tell that fashola's unwillingness to pardon his even when

Tinubu advised him to is just being over zealous, and LASTMA too is only after broken-down vehicles and not doing the Traffic Management work.

IMOO

FASHOLA should have a rethink.

pro01: Fashola is an 1diot, and his 1diocy is multiplying in quadruples each passing day. Since when did traffic offences become something you use to prove stuuupid points? If a person commits a traffic offence and his vehicle is impounded, is there no possibility of paying a fine to reclaim your vehicle? Why not simply tell OBJ that "baba, send your aide to pay the stipulated N20k fine and the vehicle would be released". What is the point to be proved in holding someone's vehicle indefinitely, even if it were an ordinary person and not OBJ? Would he prove this same foolish 'point' with Tinubu's vehicle?

Mehn, this Fashola disgusts me more than a decaying coprse.

ocelot2006:

Say what?

You think the govts of both LAGOS and Ogun states (combined) have the balls to issue commands to Uncle Sege, a former army general, TWO-TIME president, and MAJOR political chieftain? Even your Asiwaju Tinubu doesn't have the liver to do that. Good luck with that.

olabiz2010:

Listen up you this ignoramous-cheap-ar$e-clown, you are encouraging Fashola to go head-to-head with Baba Iyabo abi. Ok now, no problem, me sit down dey watch. Sebi he go definitely leave office by 2015 abi.... I pity him