•Lagos State Traffic Management Authority
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Wednesday night announced it has initiated a round-the-clock traffic management operation across the state, alongside a multi-agency enforcement drive targeting illegal structures in major urban corridors.
The initiative, termed “Operation Ember Months Stability,” is aimed at maintaining vehicular flow, enhancing public safety, and enforcing environmental standards during the increased movement that typically occurs during the festive period.
LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, in a statement shared on the agency’s Facebook page, said the agency has deployed personnel to key traffic intersections and nightlife areas, ensuring continuous operational coverage.
“This amplified presence on major arterial routes — including Ikorodu Road, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lekki-Epe Corridor, and Agege Motor Road — aims to actively ameliorate gridlock, discourage road indiscipline, and heighten safety consciousness among motorists and commuters during the heightened travel period,” he said.
Bakare-Oki noted that the operation is complemented by a multi-agency task force coordinated by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa.
“LASTMA, in collaboration with agencies like Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), LAMATA, the Nigeria Police, LAWMA, and the Public Works Corporation, conducted a sweeping clearance exercise at Apapa, Ijora, and Costain under-bridges.
“The operation resulted in the demolition of over 250 illegal shanties, the removal of derelict vehicles, and the evacuation of makeshift encampments that severely obstructed vehicular passage and created security vulnerabilities.
“Notably, the discovery of a dummy firearm and several dangerous weapons concealed within a makeshift structure during the exercise underscored the urgent necessity of the enforcement action and validated the State Government’s resolve to preserve safety and public order.
“More so, to ensure sustained vehicular fluidity in the newly reclaimed areas, all commercial bus operators who previously engaged in illegal roadside loading around the cleared under-bridges have been systematically relocated to designated parks and terminals,” he added.
Bakare-Oki further explained that the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has been instructed to assume control of the cleared spaces, integrating them into the state’s mass transit infrastructure, particularly within the Ijora corridor, to support orderly transportation and urban renewal.
LASTMA’s readiness was also demonstrated during recent traffic incidents. The agency’s Rescue Team intervened following a multiple heavy-duty truck collision along Kara Bridge on Wednesday, September 29, 2025, which claimed six lives.
The deployment of high-capacity recovery equipment prevented further casualties and reduced traffic congestion that had extended to the Third Mainland Bridge corridor.
A similar response was carried out for another truck crash at Otedola Bridge on Thursday, September 30, restoring traffic flow.
