Lagos Government Vows To Prosecute Drug-Impaired Drivers

 The Lagos State Government has put truck and cargo vehicle owners on notice, warning that any owner who permits their drivers to operate under the influence of substances risks prosecution. The stern warning was issued during a free eye care exercise organised by the State Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), held at the Agency’s Area Strategic Command in Festac.

About 1,000 NDLEA Lagos State Sector Command officers benefited from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s vision screening initiative, the latest in a series of health and fitness programmes that have previously reached truck drivers and police officers across the state.

Speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Transportation and Logistics, Hassan Adekoya, made clear that the days of tolerating impaired driving are over. “It is no longer tolerated for any individual on social contract to drive while under the influence of substances in Lagos State,” he said, adding that enforcement operations would begin imminently. He further cautioned that drivers caught behind the wheel while impaired would be taken to court by the NDLEA, describing the crackdown as essential to protecting lives, property, and government infrastructure.

NDLEA Lagos State Strategic Command chief, Assistant Commander General of Narcotics Abubakar Wali, described the initiative as unprecedented. He noted that it builds on an earlier programme that had already provided eye screening, free glasses, drug testing, and integrity tests to 10,000 commercial truck drivers. Wali welcomed the collaboration, saying it would motivate officers to intensify the fight against substance abuse.

Officers who received care at the event were enthusiastic about the experience. NDLEA Seme-Special Area Command’s Commander Ojoko Rita said the speed and quality of the screening exceeded her expectations, and that her new glasses had significantly improved her vision. Assistant Commander Nelson Ogwu, also attached to the Seme command, described his new glasses as superior to his previous pair and urged the state government to sustain the programme going forward.

The eye care initiative is part of Lagos State’s broader health and safety agenda aimed at keeping essential service providers fit for duty and reinforcing public safety standards across the state.