LASTMA
A video circulating widely on social media on Friday, November 6, 2026, shows chaotic scenes on a busy Lagos expressway in which a yellow commercial bus is engulfed in flames, crowds scatter in panic, and a person runs while apparently on fire.
The clip claims that a LASTMA (Lagos State Traffic Management Authority) official “allegedly sets passengers ablaze following a heated argument.” According to the accompanying text, a LASTMA official tried to stop a commercial vehicle after a female passenger challenged officers for allegedly blocking the road and extorting money from another driver.
The footage on the Cele inward Mile 2 area of the Oshodi-Apapa expressway. Official LASTMA statements and multiple Nigerian news outlets report that the driver of a Volkswagen T4 commercial bus (registration LSD 355 CK) and his conductor violently resisted arrest for a traffic violation. They allegedly poured petrol on LASTMA personnel, set the officer and the vehicle ablaze in an attempt to evade arrest, and the driver also set himself and the bus on fire.
Passengers supported the woman, an argument escalated, and one official reportedly threatened to beat supporters. A fire then broke out; the official is described as being caught in the flames and seen running in panic. The poster called the events “deeply disturbing” and urged people to avoid unnecessary confrontations.
The roughly 31-second video, filmed from an elevated vantage point overlooking a multi-lane road with heavy traffic including tankers and other commercial vehicles, shows a yellow bus surrounded by people in yellow LASTMA-style uniforms and civilians. Flames suddenly erupt near the vehicle, thick black smoke rises, people flee in all directions, and a figure appears to run while alight before the fire continues near the bus and on the road surface.
The footage on the Cele inward Mile 2 area of the Oshodi-Apapa expressway. Official LASTMA statements and multiple Nigerian news outlets report that the driver of a Volkswagen T4 commercial bus (registration LSD 355 CK) and his conductor violently resisted arrest for a traffic violation. They allegedly poured petrol on LASTMA personnel, set the officer and the vehicle ablaze in an attempt to evade arrest, and the driver also set himself and the bus on fire.
The injured LASTMA officer sustained severe burns and was rushed to hospital; the driver and conductor were also reported to have suffered burns. LASTMA’s then-Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the details in an official press release, condemned the violence, and reiterated the agency’s commitment to enforcing traffic laws under the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018 while urging compliance from drivers.
The recirculation of the older video with an inverted description has drawn reactions ranging from shock to sadness in replies.
LASTMA has previously stressed that violence against its officers will not be tolerated and that personnel are expected to operate within the law. The agency has not issued a fresh statement specifically addressing the November 2026 circulation of the clip at the time of writing.
The episode underscores longstanding tensions between traffic enforcement officers and commercial drivers in Lagos, where disputes over stops, alleged extortion, and resistance to arrest have repeatedly escalated. Authorities continue to urge both compliance with traffic regulations and de-escalation to prevent injuries or loss of life. No independent confirmation of passenger injuries from the 2024 incident beyond the driver, conductor, and LASTMA officer has been widely reported in connection with the fire itself.
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