To think time wasn’t even 7.00 am when I rushed out of the house that early morning, yet to brush my teeth and have my bath – I was even in my bathroom slippers, just so as to dash down and back.
I had parked my car inside the Adebowale House compound through the Shipeolu Street gate and then walked to Ikorodu Road through their main entrance, climbed the pedestrian bridge to the other side enroute my journey to Kayode Street, where I was meant to get a few iron rods for a pre-cast at home.
The iron market was even yet to be opened as I discovered they don’t until 8.00 am – I was however, lucky to have one of their association guys attend to me, bought and paid for what I needed and then had a mallam carry them all for me to the other side.
Instead of having him questioned, carrying the bars into the Adebowale House compound with me, I told him to wait outside, walked in to drive my car out and he put my consignment into my car – all this, barely lasting 30 seconds.
Within a twinkle of an eye, emerged a Danfo bus, springing to a halt right in front of my about to move car – about 8 people jumping out; thugs, and others in lastma and police uniforms.
It was all like a scripted movie scene as I watched in awe – their cameras out, snapping pictures and taking video recordings.
They tried to force open my car door:
‘You are parked illegally, obstructing traffic’
They barked out – a policeman had by now forced his way into my car, seated.
‘Illegally – How ?’
There was no vehicle behind or in front of me too, so I wasn’t in anyway obstructing the flow of traffic.
Long and short of my story – lastma towed my car unjustly to their yard in Oshodi.
A dastardly experience that started at about 7.30 am till I got my car out at 3.30 pm – my precious 8 hours wasted and I had to part with a whooping fifty thousand naira (N50k) to get my car out.
You should’ve been there to see how Nigerians were being unjustly treated by hooligans in uniforms – chased out into the streets from their compound and on our feet right there in the sun, thoroughly humiliated and drained.
Such an untowardly aggressive and rude lot too as they subjected me to psychological abuse and torture.
One was even going to beat me up as he struggled to rip off my car keys from me. It sure was a nasty experience I don’t wish on anyone.

While those unlucky to be in their net paid the ridiculous fines, you needed to hear their sad stories and how they sent down curses to the officials and their family.
Indeed, took me days to get my acts back together from the sad and harrowing experience – Phew !
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LASTMA is an abbreviation for the ‘Lagos State Traffic Management Authority’
@ O’Shine Original . . .