By CHIAZO OGBOLU

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said it sanctioned 19 officers following disciplinary actions taken by the Lagos State Civil Service Commission (CSC) over gross misconduct in 2025.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

Bakare-Oki said that out of the 19, five were dismissed, nine got demoted in rank, while the rest were given serious warning letters.

According to him, the authority has a check and balance mechanism to check excesses of officers in the field.

He added that “we have been able to improve our surveillance unit, and on a daily basis, officers move out to check the excesses of our men on the road.

“The surveillance officers go out in plain cloth, like a mystery shopper to identify our men that intend to operate against laid down guidelines.

“These are what we put in place to check the excesses of our men on the road.”

The LASTMA boss noted that whenever the authority received feedback concerning officers’ misbehaviour, actions were promptly taken to tackle the issue.

“We have series of examples where our men are penalised whenever they are reported, we do due diligence to ensure that we establish the truth.

“If our men are found wanting, they are always punished,” he said.

Bakare-Oki also noted that LASTMA was not resting on its oars to ensure Lagos residents, especially the motoring public, had free flow of traffic.

He reiterated the authority’s readiness to ensure seamless movement of goods and persons in the state. (NAN)