The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Mobile) Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi has sentenced a fake LASTMA officer, David Oluchkwu to 4-month jail term.
He was jailed for impersonating and extorting money from motorists, particularly commercial bus drivers in Lagos.
The convicted fake LASTMA officer was arraigned by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on a 2-count charge of “conduct likely to cause breach of peace” and “impersonation” before the court.
The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, in a statement said Magistrate Adesanya Ademola sentenced Oluchkwu to 4-month jail term without any option of fine after he pleaded ‘guilty’ to the 2- count charge levelled against him.
Magistrate Adesanya emphasized that the convict should serve the four months jail term without any option fine due to the gravity of the offences committed.
The prosecutor, Agbaje Oladotun stated that both offences levelled against the convict contravened Section 168 (D) and Section 78 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State (2015) respectively.
In his reaction to the judgement, the General Manager, LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba said the judgement was a welcome development as it would serve as deterrent to others who were still extorting money from innocent members of public under false pretense.
According to Oreagba, “our surveillance and intelligence unit which has now been fully restructured would continue to hunt for other bad elements disturbing the peace of the society.”
The General Manager, however, urged motorists, particularly commercial bus operators, to adhere strictly to the dictates of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018.
credit: PM News
