The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has condemned an attack on one of its officers who was allegedly stabbed by a commercial bus driver at Ojota Interchange, Lagos.
It was learnt that the incident happened over the weekend after officials flagged down a Caravelle GL Volkswagen bus with registration number EKY 693 YK for driving along the Ojota–Ketu corridor with its passenger door open while carrying commuters.
A statement issued by the agency’s Director of Public Affairs, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed that the driver resisted arrest and attempted to flee by mounting the road median before the vehicle was forced to a halt.
Authorities said the suspect then grabbed a broken bottle from inside the bus and stabbed an officer in the fingers before escaping.
The statement said, “The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) over the weekend registers its strongest condemnation of a heinous and premeditated assault perpetrated against one of its officers by a defiant commercial bus driver at Ojota Interchange in Lagos.
“The violent involved a painted Caravelle GL Volkswagen commercial bus EKY 693 YK. The vehicle was lawfully intercepted for a flagrant contravention of extant traffic regulations, having been operated along the Ojota–Ketu corridor with its passenger door recklessly left ajar while fully laden with commuters an egregious infraction that gravely endangered passengers and other road users alike.
“The driver reportedly resisted arrest and attempted to flee by mounting the road median, but the escape was cut short when the vehicle was forced to stop.
“The statement added that the suspect then turned violent, grabbed a broken bottle from inside the bus and attacked enforcement officers, stabbing one of them in the fingers.
“Upon interception on the main carriageway, the driver responded with brazen insubordination, strenuously resisting lawful arrest and attempting a hazardous escape by mounting the median in a desperate bid to abscond. His attempted flight was, however, abruptly curtailed when the vehicle became mechanically immobilised. Frustrated by the collapse of his escape plan, the suspect descended into unrestrained violence.
“In a shocking display of brutality, he seized a jagged broken bottle from within the bus and lunged menacingly at the enforcement officers, stabbing one officer in the fingers of his right hand. The vicious attack resulted in severe fractures and significant blood loss before the assailant fled the scene in a cowardly retreat.
“LASTMA added that the injured officer sustained severe fractures and significant blood loss and was rushed to a medical facility, where he underwent emergency surgery. Two fingers required operative reconstruction, and he remains under close medical observation.
“Notwithstanding his escape, the offending vehicle was immediately impounded in strict compliance with statutory provisions. The injured officer was promptly evacuated to a medical facility, where he underwent emergency surgical intervention. Due to the gravity of the fractures sustained, two fingers required immediate operative reconstruction. He remains under close medical observation and is receiving comprehensive care.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said investigations were ongoing to ensure the suspect is apprehended and prosecuted.
“The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki expressed profound outrage and unequivocal condemnation of the reprehensible act.
“He affirmed that the incident is being thoroughly investigated by the Police and prosecutorial measures are underway to ensure the apprehension and diligent prosecution of the perpetrator.
“He described violence against traffic personnel as a direct affront to lawful authority and civil order, warning commercial drivers against violating traffic laws and stressing that offenders would face strict legal consequences.
“Mr. Bakare-Oki reiterated that any act of violence against traffic enforcement personnel constitutes a direct affront to lawful authority and civil order.
“He admonished commercial transport operators to desist from reckless noncompliance with traffic laws, warning that the Authority will continue to intensify enforcement operations to safeguard public safety and uphold regulatory discipline across Lagos State.
“The Agency remains steadfast in its statutory mandate to entrench orderliness, discipline and the seamless flow of traffic throughout the metropolis. Acts of lawlessness and violent resistance will invariably attract a firm and uncompromising lawful response.”
One hundred and thirty persons have been arrested after men of the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI raided a suspected fraud compound in Ghana and arrested more than 130 people.
The FBI Director, Kash Patel, disclosed this in a post shared on his official X account on Thursday.
Patel said the operation, codenamed “Operation Blackout”, was carried out in the week as part of the FBI’s efforts to dismantle global scam centres.
“OPERATION BLACKOUT: This is the FBI’s global scam-centre fraud demolition. Another takedown this week out of Ghana,” Patel wrote.
He said the operation had so far resulted in nearly $10m in identified losses, 89 victims identified, more than 130 individuals arrested or detained, including victims who would be repatriated to their home countries, and more than 300 devices seized.
“Investigation is ongoing. These scam compounds target American citizens and destroy lives – and this @FBI is crushing them in every corner of the world. More to come,” he said.
Patel also gave an update on the overall Operation Blackout figures, saying roughly $17bn had been seized, hundreds of alleged scammers arrested and thousands of trafficked workers freed.
He added that more than 10,000 Americans had been warned before losing their money, while an estimated $670m in losses had been prevented.
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a suspect, Adewale Arojah, identified as a prophet’s son, for allegedly impersonating a renowned cleric on Facebook and defrauding multiple victims of over N18m under the guise of offering prayers and spiritual assistance.
According to a statement by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, on Thursday, the arrest followed a complaint lodged on October 3, 2026, by Muyiwa Akogun, popularly known on Facebook as “Prophet Dr. Muyiwa Akogun”.
The command said Akogun alerted the police after members of the public complained about “fraudulent activities being perpetrated in his name through a duplicated Facebook profile.”
“Upon receipt of the complaint, the Divisional Police Officer, Ilaro Division, immediately detailed intelligence and detective operatives to track down the perpetrator,” the statement said.
It added that “through sustained technological monitoring and intelligence-led analysis, the suspect was tracked to a nearby village in Ajegunle, via the Ilaro/Ibogun axis, where he was successfully apprehended.”
The police said the suspect confessed during interrogation to impersonating the cleric on Facebook.
“During a rigorous interrogation, the suspect confessed to impersonating the real Prophet Akogun on Facebook.
“He admitted to using the cleric’s identity to deliver fake prophecies and offer prayer services to vulnerable individuals, thereby defrauding victims residing both within Nigeria and in the diaspora,” Babaseyi said.
The command said preliminary investigations showed that the suspect allegedly targeted people seeking spiritual assistance through the prophet’s Facebook page.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect systematically targeted victims seeking spiritual assistance on the said prophet’s Facebook page, gains their trust and swindled them of funds amounting to over ₦18 million,” it said.
The suspect has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The command said the investigation would be used to ascertain the extent of the crime, identify potential accomplices, and ensure possible prosecution.
The command said the arrest was part of its efforts to tackle online fraud and identity theft in the state.
“The swift arrest highlights the Ogun State Police Command’s resolve to dismantle online fraud networks, curb identity theft, and deny cybercriminals safe space to operate across the state,” Babaseyi said.
The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Bode Ojajuni, commended the Ilaro operatives for what the statement described as their “vigilance, tactical discipline, and swift response”.
The CP also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting residents from digital and physical threats.
The command advised members of the public to exercise caution when dealing with religious leaders and public figures on social media.
“The Command advises members of the public to exercise caution and due diligence when engaging with religious leaders or public figures on social media platforms,” the statement said.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has summoned heads of security agencies in the state to a meeting following a spike in security breaches, particularly recent killings involving rival cult groups in the state.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Samuel Ojo, disclosed this during an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, saying the meeting would be held on Wednesday.
Ojo said the meeting would deliberate on and address the killings by suspected cultists in the state.
He added that the meeting would also discuss measures to make forests in the state safer, in view of the recent killing of an ISWAP leader in Owo, Ondo State.
“We are holding a security meeting on Wednesday, by the special grace of God, to reassure our people and put our security agencies on their toes.
“What happened in Ondo is a lesson to those criminals hibernating in the forests.
We will not take it lightly with anyone using the forest as a hideout,” he said.
He further said, “Aside from that, we are also using the meeting to address the incessant killings by rival cult groups in the past weeks.
“We need to meet and discuss how to stop these killings by cult groups or any other violent crimes hiding under that canopy.”
The governor’s aide, who stressed the need to stop the killings to protect Osun’s corporate image, warned perpetrators of violent crimes to desist or face dire consequences.
“We need to stop it, so as not to give our state a bad name, because nobody knows what they are fighting for or why they are killing themselves,” Ojo said.
The PUNCH reports that two separate attacks by members of rival cult groups, which occurred in Osogbo, the state capital, between last Friday and Sunday, left two people dead and about five others injured.
In reaction to the latest cult attack, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, subsequently ordered tactical teams to raid suspected criminal hideouts in Osogbo.
