The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has arrested five of its traffic officials for extorting motorists.
The officials were arrested last week in various parts of the state.
Those arrested are Bamidele Sheu, a level seven traffic officer, aged 48, and resident of 68, Oke Popo Street, Lagos Island; Ope Adisa, aged 32 and level 5 traffic officer of 8, Freeman Street, Lagos Island; and Babatunde Aluko, 37, traffic officer level 4 of 15, Oriwu Street, Ikorodu.
The trio was arrested following a complaint to the agency by one Akinmolayan Babatunde, a clearing agent, for illegal apprehension of his container truck with registration number AA 553 NGW at Marina area and subsequent demand for N80,000 bribe by the traffic officers before the vehicle could be released.
According to Akinmolayan, he was accompanying the container truck Monday morning to deliver goods at Walter Carrington Street, Victoria Island when the truck was forced to stop at Marina, close to the State House by the three LASTMA officials in uniform working with some other men in mufti, for driving the vehicle at unauthorised hours.
Akinmolayan said all pleas to release the truck in order to meet up with delivery time fell on deaf ears as the traffic officials and those in mufti engaged him in fisticuff before the vehicle was eventually taken to Olowu removal yard of the agency on the Island, where they demanded for the sum of N80,000.
It took the intervention of the zonal head and after parting with N7,000 to some men in mufti that the vehicle was eventually released.
In the same vein, the duo of Jimo Olaosebikan and Emmanuel Padonu were arrested during the week by surveillance unit and provost officials of the agency at Okokomaiko and Mile 12 areas respectively.
Olaosebikan was arrested by men of LASTMA surveillance team unit at Okokomaiko along Lagos-Badagry Expressway for illegally collecting N20,000 from a female motorist who was accused of making an illegal u-turn at Okokomaiko.
Padonu, on his part was picked up by provost officials for using men in mufti to collect money from commercial drivers at Mile 12 area of Kosofe Local Government, Wednesday morning.
The arrest was as a result of tip off from members of the public who informed the agency that some traffic officials were conniving with men in mufti to arrest and collect money from commercial drivers in the area.
Speaking on the arrested officials, General Manager of LASTMA, Olawale Musa, expressed dismay at the activities of unscrupulous elements within the agency and assured that with the assistance of members of the public they will be eased off to protect the image of officers who work assiduously to ensure free flow of traffic in the state.
Musa expressed his appreciation to members of the public for alerting the agency to the unscrupulous activities of these officials, just as he advised motorists to always report any LASTMA official found wanting on duty.
According to him: โLASTMA operates a cashless policy and motorists should not give money to any LASTMA official under any circumstance. Furthermore, LASTMA officials on duty are always in uniforms with names conspicuously displayed on the breast pockets and motorists should disregard anybody not in uniform claiming to be agency officials.โ
He said such person in mufti should be reported to LASTMA or nearest law enforcement Agency, adding that any motorist dealing with the state traffic official should feel free to demand for his identity and name.
It would be recalled that over 20 officials of the agency have been dismissed this year for various act of misconduct that were considered to be inimical to the service of the state and LASTMA.
This is in addition to dozens of other officials that have received various letters of warning and those that are waiting their turn to appear before Personal Management Board (discipline) for various unwholesome act and behaviour.
