A mild drama ensued at the Palmgrove Bus
Stop, Ikorodu Road, Lagos State yesterday when a commercial bus driver
stripped naked to avoid being arrested by officials of the Lagos State
Traffic Management Authority. The LASTMA officials had blocked five
different commercial buses for indiscriminately taking passengers by the
side of the road. Passengers in the four vehicles were
asked to alight, as officials of the traffic agency took over the wheels
of the impounded vehicles. There was however drama when the old man who
drove the fifth bus suddenly went inside his bus and brought out a
bowl. More after the break
A fetid odour emanating from the bowl polluted the fresh morning air.
The LASTMA officers, policemen and commuters ran for cover. But one of
the officials came back and stood his ground, wielding a baton and
insisting that the man must follow them. When it became obvious that the
odour
strategy had failed, the driver began pulling off his clothes,
prostrating by the front tyres of the vehicle and rolling on the floor.
A crowd formed around the area, with some of the bystanders capturing
the scene with their camera phones. One of the officials was heard
telling his colleagues to “leave him alone and let him go.” However,
they took close shots of the vehicle number plate, and the driver,
before taking other seized vehicles away. Our correspondent spoke with a
resident who said he knew the old man well.
He said, “That is how the man usually does. His bus plies Lagos Island
everyday and he picks his passengers from that spot.” The source, who
did not identify himself, added that it was the second time the man
would put up the show. He said the bus was owned by a military officer.
When our correspondent approached the old man for comment, he refused to talk.
When he was, however, confronted with
the allegation of being a serial offender, he said, “Look, whoever wants
to talk should talk. Everybody has his problems and I have mine.” He
drove the vehicle into a filling station. Attempts to speak with LASTMA proved
abortive. An officer who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone
said he was not disposed to comment and referred him to another senior
officer, who equally declined comment.
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