The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has disclosed that it responded to 1,409 road traffic crashes and rescued 670 victims across the state between January and September 2026, raising fresh concerns about road safety and the risks confronting motorists in Nigeria’s commercial hub.
The authority’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the figures highlighted the agency’s critical role in emergency response, traffic management and efforts to prevent further casualties on Lagos roads.
According to him, LASTMA operatives were routinely deployed to crash scenes to assess situations, rescue victims, divert traffic and prevent secondary collisions that could result in additional injuries or fatalities.
He said the interventions also helped ease traffic congestion, restore the free flow of vehicles and provide emergency agencies with unhindered access to accident scenes.
Bakare-Oki described the rescue of 670 victims within the nine-month period as a reflection of the humanitarian dimension of the agency’s statutory responsibilities.
He noted that LASTMA personnel continued to operate under hazardous and unpredictable conditions while coordinating rescue efforts and assisting other emergency responders.
The LASTMA boss listed the agency’s emergency-response partners as the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Ambulance Service, State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit and Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
He said effective collaboration among the agencies remained crucial to ensuring timely assistance to crash victims and improving emergency response across the state.
Bakare-Oki reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to strengthening its incident-response capacity, intensifying public enlightenment campaigns and enforcing compliance with traffic regulations.
He stressed that prompt reporting of road crashes and effective coordination among emergency agencies were essential to reducing casualties and improving safety on Lagos roads.
The general manager urged motorists to observe speed limits, obey traffic signals, wear seat belts and ensure their vehicles were roadworthy.
He also warned against distracted driving and reckless manoeuvres, which he said could endanger motorists, passengers and other road users.
He called on private motorists, commercial transport operators, dispatch riders and pedestrians to exercise greater caution and comply with traffic directives.
Bakare-Oki further urged members of the public to report road crashes, traffic obstructions and other incidents requiring urgent intervention through LASTMA’s toll-free short code, 3367.
He maintained that road safety could not be achieved by the traffic management authority alone, insisting that every road user had a responsibility to protect lives.
“LASTMA remains resolute in advancing proactive incident response, strengthening inter-agency collaboration and sustaining road safety advocacy.
“The authority urges all road users to embrace responsible conduct and recognise that protecting human lives is both a statutory obligation and a collective moral imperative,” he said.
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