Lagos Task Force Arrests Fake Operatives Harassing, Extorting Motorists

Eko Hot Blog reports that the Lagos State Task Force, in collaboration with Transport Operations Compliance Unit of the Ministry of Transportation, has apprehended fake enforcement officers for illegal operations.

Mrs. Bolanle Ogunlola, Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Transport, made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday.

She stated that the impersonators were arrested in the Agege area of Lagos.

The statement said that the clampdown on fake officers was in line with the government’s efforts to sanitise the transport sector against individuals parading themselves as government enforcement personnel.

The fake enforcers paraded at the Ministry of Transportation named; Olayinka Daniel, Shola Babarinde and Ilesanmi were reported by a motorist who claimed they had forcefully gained access to his vehicle and accused him of not having a stage carriage permit.

The motorist explained that he was asked to pay N15,500 despite having other vehicle documents intact.

The fake enforcement personnel later confessed in addition to the alleged fine collected, to have been selling unauthorised Local Government emblems to vehicle operators plying the area under the supervision of one “Mr. Tunji” who live around Oniwaya axis in Agege area.

Also, some fake enforcement officials were arrested at Ago Palace Way, Okota for illegal extortion of truck drivers.

They claimed to be working for the Local Government, but they were unable to provide identification upon their arrest.

Reacting to the fraudulent surge of the activities of the fake enforcers, Engr. Abdulhafiz Toriola, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, stated that while the culprits had been handed over to the police for further prosecution, he assured that decisive actions would be taken on them in line with the state’s traffic law 2018, for tainting the name of the state government and inflicting pains on motorists.

Reiterating the position of the government on criminality, Toriola also warned against destruction and theft of road signs and other road furniture across the state.

He emphasized further that investigations had revealed that unauthorised cart pushers and metal scrap collectors are the major perpetrators of the dastard act.

He referred to an instance of a road sign already vandalised and in the process of being taken away in a truck, affirming that anyone found guilty of such act would be penalised in line with the transport reform law of the state.

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