Three men, who have been extorting hapless motorists by posing as Local Government Traffic Officers, have been arrested by the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) at Osodi.
The suspects, who claimed to be officials of the Osodi-Isolo Local Government, were boldly ‘arresting’ motorists, taking them to the local government secretariat, collecting various sums of money from them and issuing them receipts bearing the Local Government’s name.
They were arrested on Wednesday afternoon, June 2, on the orders of the Chairman, Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit, CSP Shola Jejeloye, after receiving complaints from some of their victims.
The suspects arrested include: Samuel Oyegbule (52), Olayiwola Thomas (53) and Kola Taiwo (47).
The suspects had on Tuesday, extorted N25,000:00 from one of their victims for obstruction. Another victim equally alleged he was extorted of the same amount the previous day.
According to the first victim who does not want his name mentioned in the press, ‘They walked up to my vehicle while waiting for traffic light in Oyetayo Street. They knocked on my side glass and I wound down to listen to them. They said I have committed a traffic offence and I was forced to Osodi-Isolo Local Government Secretariat, Osodi, where I was made to cough (out) N25,000 as fine”.
The second victim, a bolt driver, said “I was arrested for dropping my client in front of his house in the inner street of Osodi. It wasn’t a major road or expressway or where there are bus stops. They refused to listen to my explanation. They fined me N25,000”.
The victims alleged that the suspects selected vehicles they knew could pay their charges before arresting them on trumped up offences and forcing them to Local Government headquarters to make payment.
“They also brought into the same place several other vehicles arrested in the same manner like mine and they were made to pay as well as. Some of them were made to pay a higher amount”, one of the victims added.
Warning other touts and persons who illegally issue tickets to motorists on public roads and streets, CSP Jejeloye noted that the taskforce would continue with the arrest of miscreants posing as council officials to extort road users.
“I have received a lot of complaints and we have taken time to analyse them. We have made our findings too. Lagos State Government would not tolerate such excesses”, he added.
