NPA boss tasks police to fish out killers of LASTMA official

Two suspects in custody, says Chris Olakpe
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, has appealed to the Nigeria Police Force to intensify efforts to arrest killers of an official of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Surajudeen Bakare, who was killed last month in Apapa area of Lagos State.

The NPA boss gave the charge while on a condolence visit to the family of the deceased LASTMA official at their home in Lagos at the weekend.

Usman, who was accompanied on the visit by the Chief Executive Officer of LASTMA, AIG Chris Olakpe (rtd.), noted that as the landlord of the port, it was important for the NPA to pay the condolence visit and show empathy with the deceased’s family.

“We felt the need to extend our condolence to the LASTMA official that died in active duty. He was on active duty around Apapa port area. We enjoin the police to ensure that justice is done, nobody should be killed in the manner this young man was killed, it is unacceptable, we cannot accept this behaviour in the society,” she said.

Usman later handed over the NPA’s cash gift to the wife of the deceased, Mrs. Fatima Bakare. The tearful widow thanked the port officials for the visit but said: “It is painful that I am receiving this after my husband’s death. I only know his worth after his death.”

Meanwhile, LASTMA has disclosed that the police have arrested two persons in connection with the gruesome murder of Bakare.

The LASTMA boss recounted that the deceased official was on an official duty in Apapa when he was lynched and beaten to death. He assured that the agency, in partnership with the police are doing everything to get to the root of the matter.

“The incident was most unfortunate. We have sworn that we will get to the bottom of it. The state government has empowered the police to get to the root of it and we are glad that today, two arrests have been made of the miscreants,” he said.