Lagos State Government on Monday vowed to prosecute Arise Television analyst and co-Presenter of The Morning Show, Rufai Oseni for violating the traffic regulation.
Oseni had admitted to riding on the dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane, which had been banned for other road users outside BRT buses.
The Chief Press Secretary to Lagos State Governor Gboyega Akosile who disclosed this in a tweep in response to Rufai’s Tweet exchanges with the Lagos State Police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin.
Akosile described Rufai as a lawbreaker, who would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
Rufai had earlier in a tweep, on Monday, August 1, 2022, alleged that a police officer had pointed a gun at him while trying to enforce a traffic infraction.
He said he offered to pay for the infraction but “the police was hell-bent on forcefully collecting my keys and pointing a gun at me.”
He tweeted: “A Nigerian police officer pointed a gun at me and forcefully took my keys and drove my car off, because he wanted to enforce a traffic infraction.”
Responding to the post, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin said the journalist violated traffic rules and resisted the officers.
He, however, added that the officer that pointed a gun at him would be sanctioned if Oseni’s claim is true.
Hundeyin said, “Rufai, let’s not do this. You admitted to me that you passed a BRT lane. It’s against the law. Your claim that google maps took you there is not tenable. You disobeyed and resisted the officers. We’ll sanction the officer who misused firearm if proven”.
The Chief Press Secretary to Lagos State Governor, Gboyega Akosile swiftly fired back, describing the broadcast journalist as a lawbreaker saying he (Rufai) had already admitted his offence to the police.
He added that Rufai would face the necessary penalty.
Akosile tweeted: “Thank you Rufai, while the @PoliceNG deal with the police officer in their own way, we’d ensure that necessary action is taken against you for driving on BRT lane as you’ve admitted to the police. You’re a lawbreaker and you should face the necessary penalties”.
But Rufai in another tweet replied Akosile saying he did not deliberately break the law. He said he would not have passed the BRT lane if other drivers had not used the lane.
“I am not a lawbreaker I saw cars pass through the Supposed BRT lane and they were not stopped, all of a sudden I was stopped and told them I used the bus lane. If I didn’t see other cars I will not go through, plus I want conversant with the road. In fact, after I was stopped three cars also”, he tweeted.
Arise TV is owned by Nduka Obaigbena, the publisher of ThisDay newspaper. The TV station has been perceived to be critical of the ruling APC and the administration of Babatunde Sanwo-Olu in Lagos.