Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has nabbed a fake Lastma traffic officer around Lekki area of Lagos.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Director, Public Affairs Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq.
He quoted the General Manager, LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba as saying that the suspect was nabbed by a LASTMA patrol team while on duty monitoring and controlling traffic around the Lekki axis.
“Preliminary investigations conducted by the agency revealed that the arrested suspect belonged to a criminal gang and they have been extorting huge sums 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.
“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,” he said.
Oreagba urged motorists to be wary of fake officers demanding money from them, stating that the agency operated a cashless policy as any violators apprehended were 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 on the pretext of the agency.
The arrested suspect, David Oluchkwu, 27, confessed to have been impersonating as a LASTMA official and extorting money from different motorists, particularly commercial bus drivers apprehended for violating traffic laws across the State.
Oluchkwu who hailed from ‘Ukpu’ in Anambra State confessed further to be making an average of N40,000 everyday from the illegal traffic business.
“Any motorists I caught driving against traffic (One-way) paid a minimum of N50,000 while other traffic violators were charged with different fines,” he said.
The suspect with no any fixed address, however, appealed to the government to temper justice with mercy.
Meanwhile, the Director, Legal Department (LASTMA), Akerele Kehinde disclosed that the arrested suspect would be charged to court in accordance with the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State.
Credit: PM News
