The Lagos State environmental and special offences (mobile) court has sentenced David Oluchkwu, to a 4-month jail term for impersonating Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officer and extorting money from motorists particularly commercial bus drivers in the state.
The convicted fake LASTMA Officer was arraigned by the Agency on a 2-count charge of “conduct likely to cause breach of peace” and “Impersonation” before the Mobile Court, sitting at Bolade, Oshodi on Monday, 19th of December, 2022.
The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, made this known in a press statement made available to newsmen, saying that Magistrate Adesanya Ademola sentenced Oluchkwu to a 4-month jail term without any option of fine after he pleaded ‘guilty’ to the 2- count charge levied against him.
According to the statement, Magistrate Adesanya emphasized that the convict should serve the 4- month jail term without any option fine due to the gravity of the offences he committed.
It noted that the prosecutor, Barrister Agbaje Oladotun affirmed that both offences levied against the convict contravened Section 168 (D) and Section 78 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State (2015) respectively.
LASTMA General Manager, Mr. Bolaji Oreagba, said in his reaction that the judgement was a welcome development, noting that it would serve as a deterrent to others who were still extorting money from innocent members of the public under false pretenses.
“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,” he vowed.
Oreagba, however, urged motorists, particularly commercial bus operators to adhere strictly to the dictates of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018.
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