By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, have arrested a member of a syndicate that parades themselves as LASTMA traffic officers around the Lekki area of Lagos State.
The suspect, Mr. David Oluchukwu, 27 year-old, was arrested under the Lekki Bridge on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, while in the act.
Oluchukwu confessed to impersonating as a LASTMA official and extorting money from different motorists particularly commercial bus drivers, popularly called Danfo, apprehended for violating traffic laws across the state.
Items like fake uniform, beret, Identify Card, were found on him during the arrest.
LASTMA General Manager, GM, Bolaji Oreagba, who announced this through the Director, Public Affairs Department, Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, in a statement, explained that the suspect was nabbed by a LASTMA patrol team while on duty monitoring and controlling traffic around the Lekki axis.
Priliminary investigations conducted by the agency revealed that the suspect belonged to a criminal gang and they have been extorting huge sum of money from innocent motorists apprehended for various traffic offences ranging from seat-belt, obstructions, illegal over-taking and one-way at different locations across the State.
According to Oreagba “The suspect was apprehended after our patrol team sighted him fully kitted with a LASTMA uniform on a black jean collecting money from different commercial bus drivers who were illegally dropping and picking passengers under the Lekki bridge
“It is disheartening for some unscrupulous elements impersonating as LASTMA officials and extorting money from innocent motorists thereby denting the good image of the Agency before the public.”
Oreagba, therefore, urged motorists to be wary of fake officers demanding money from them stating that the agency operates a cashless policy as any violator/s apprehended are charged to court with a ‘Referral Notice.’
He, however, warned those impersonators to desist from such illegal acts as more surveillance personnel have been deployed to strategic locations to hunt for those extorting innocent motorists under the pretext of the agency.
The suspect, an indigene of ‘Ukpu’ in Anambra State, confessed further to be making an average of N40,000 everyday from the illegal traffic business.
Narrates modus operandi
According to the suspect with no any fixed address, “Any motorists I caught driving against traffic (One-way) paid a minimum of N50,000 while other traffic violators were charged with different fines.
“I hereby, appeal to the state Govrnor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and state government to temper justice with mercy. It was done out of economic hardship.”
Meanwhile, the Director, Legal Department of the agency, Barrister. Akerele Kehinde, disclosed that the suspect would be charged to court on Thursday, December 15, 2022, today in accordance with the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State.
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