…heated exchange ensued, with LIRS directors intervening to stop the LASPA team from towing or further clamping vehicles.
LAGOS, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | What began as a routine enforcement drive by the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) spiralled into a full-blown confrontation on Monday, as LASPA officials stormed the Revenue House headquarters of the Lagos Inland Revenue Service (LIRS) to clamp vehicles allegedly parked illegally by LIRS staff.
The enforcement operation, which took place on ASSBIFI Road in Alausa, saw LASPA officials affix N100,000 infringement fines on several LIRS vehicles, sparking swift backlash from officials of the revenue agency.
Eyewitnesses said a heated exchange ensued, with LIRS directors intervening to stop the LASPA team from towing or further clamping vehicles.
The LIRS leadership reportedly ordered the removal of all infringement stickers and challenged LASPA’s jurisdiction to enforce penalties within the premises of another government institution.
“The Revenue House is a government facility. LASPA has no legal authority to carry out enforcement here,” one LIRS official, who spoke anonymously, told The iNews Times. “We consider this an overreach, and we won’t accept it.”
The tension followed LASPA’s earlier notice warning of a clampdown on indiscriminate parking in Alausa, which took effect on July 28.
The agency’s enforcement push was backed by a directive from the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Olabode Agoro, who during the state’s July fitness walk, called for immediate enforcement within the State Secretariat in Ikeja and surrounding areas.
In a statement issued Monday, LASPA’s Head of Public Affairs, Dunkwu Sunday, reaffirmed the agency’s mandate to regulate and enforce parking compliance in Lagos.
He urged all residents, including government workers, to adopt responsible parking habits by obeying signage and avoiding traffic obstruction.
“Enforcement has begun in full,” the statement read. “No one is exempt from the law. We expect every motorist to comply with the state’s parking regulations.”
As of press time, it remained unclear whether the N100,000 fines would be enforced or rescinded. However, insiders say the incident may trigger a review of inter-agency boundaries and enforcement protocols within the state civil service.
