The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has dismissed as false a viral social media video alleging that motorists were instructed to use the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor from Ojota, sparking controversy among Lagos road users.
The video, shared on Facebook by a platform known as Lagos Reporters, claimed that drivers had been directed onto the restricted BRT lane, only to be arrested by LASTMA officers at Idi-Iroko, inward Anthony, along Ikorodu Road.
In a statement on Thursday, LASTMA described the allegation as “mendacious and misleading,” stressing that no such directive was ever issued by its operatives.
The agency clarified that the Lagos State Government had only granted temporary approval for motorists to use the BRT corridor at Odo-Iya Alaro and Eko Bridge. These concessions, officials explained, were introduced solely to ease congestion caused by ongoing rehabilitation works at the Ifako-Ogudu Bridge, inbound Lagos.
According to LASTMA, there is no dispensation whatsoever for drivers to ply the BRT lane at Idi-Iroko or anywhere else along the Ikorodu Road axis. The claim, it said, was “deliberately fabricated to mislead the public.”
To address the issue, LASTMA launched an internal investigation into the incident captured in the viral video. The findings, the agency revealed, showed that no officer gave permission for motorists to encroach on the corridor between Ojota and Idi-Iroko.
Instead, visual monitoring from the same location indicated that traffic on the main carriageway at Idi-Iroko, inward Anthony, was free-flowing at the time. This, the agency argued, directly contradicted the congestion narrative portrayed online.
LASTMA maintained that protecting BRT lanes was a critical part of its mandate to ensure order on Lagos roads. “The integrity of the BRT corridor is vital to the smooth running of mass transit, and we will not tolerate its abuse,” the statement read.
The Authority also warned motorists against spreading or acting on false information from unverified online sources. It noted that such misinformation could push unsuspecting drivers into committing traffic offences.
“All violators of the BRT corridor will be decisively apprehended and prosecuted according to law,” LASTMA cautioned, adding that enforcement efforts would not be relaxed.
On the ongoing rehabilitation of the Ifako-Ogudu Bridge, LASTMA assured commuters that contractors were expediting work to reduce disruption. The temporary traffic relief measures at Odo-Iya Alaro and Eko Bridge, it said, would be withdrawn immediately after project completion.
The agency appealed for public patience, noting that the temporary inconveniences were necessary to achieve long-term improvements in traffic flow across the state.
To avoid being misled, motorists were urged to seek clarification only from official sources, including the Authority’s toll-free hotline: 080000527862.
The statement, signed by Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, reiterated the agency’s commitment to restoring order and improving safety on Lagos roads.
With the clarification, LASTMA hopes to put an end to the confusion sparked by the viral video and reassure commuters of its determination to safeguard traffic discipline across the state.
