The Lagos State government has sealed the premises of Vaniti Club House over protracted and deliberate infractions of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.

The general manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said this in a statement made available to journalists on Monday in Lagos.

Mr Bakare-Oki said the move was an assertion of its steadfast dedication to preserving public order and ensuring the seamless mobility of persons and vehicles within the metropolis.

He said the enforcement action carried out at the clubhouse located on Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, was meticulously executed by the agency’s rescue and compliance unit.

“This was done due to the club’s habitual and defiant infringement of established traffic laws, particularly its persistent facilitation of illegal roadside parking and flagrant encroachment upon public highways.

“These actions have not only disrupted traffic flow but have posed substantial risks to public safety.

“The Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, unequivocally proscribes any acts that obstruct vehicular movement or imperil the safety of road users, categorising such conduct as a grievous statutory offence liable to punitive legal sanctions,” he said.

He said, despite a series of exhaustive sensitisation efforts, including sustained public enlightenment campaigns, direct stakeholders engagements, and multiple official warnings, the management of Verniti Club House had remained intransigent.

He added that they choose to perpetuate acts that undermine the operational integrity of the state’s traffic ecosystem, particularly within the high-traffic corridor of Victoria Island.

“Consequently, the state government has invoked its full regulatory powers to seal the premises indefinitely.

“This directive shall remain in effect until the establishment unequivocally demonstrates total and verifiable compliance with all extant traffic laws and ancillary regulatory frameworks.

“This enforcement initiative is not a one-off occurrence. It marks the beginning of a broader and sustained compliance campaign.

“We are actively monitoring other clubs, event centres, lounges, and recreational facilities, particularly those that persist in impeding traffic flow by commandeering public roads and adjoining streets for private use,” he said.

He said the Lagos State government, via LASTMA, reiterated its zero-tolerance policy toward any person, corporate body, or social enterprise that constituted an impediment to traffic orderliness or endangers the commuting public.

(NAN)