Bola Badmus – Lagos
Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have arrested another serial fake traffic officer around Ikoyi area of the state.
General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Bolaji Oreagba, made this disclosure in a release issued by the Agency’s Director, Public Affairs Department, Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, saying that the 55-year-old suspect, Omotutu Bamidele, was nabbed over the weekend at Olu Holloway Road by Alfred Rewane area of Ikoyi by a LASTMA Monitoring/Surveillance team led by Mr. Ashafa Moyosore (Zonal Head).
LASTMA’s boss confirmed further that the Agency carried out Special Monitoring/Surveillance Operations about the suspect and got him arrested in response to complaints from the motoring public (Obinna Kingsley & Adewusi Adebola) via Lastma hotlines/social media handles.
According to Oreagba, investigation conducted revealed that the arrested suspect had been extorting huge sums of money from motorists for various traffic offences ranging from seat-belt, obstructions, illegal over-taking and One-way drives at different locations around Lagos Island.
“It is disheartening getting complaints from road users, particularly motorists on activities of these unscrupulous elements impersonating and extorting money from them,” he said.
He urged the general public to be wary of these fake traffic officers, stating that the Agency operates a cashless policy “as any violators apprehended are charged to Court with a ‘Referral Notice’ issued to them.”
“Let me warn the motoring public to desist from inducing traffic officers in any form (money) as both the giver and taker are liable before the law,” Oreagba warned.
General Manager however warned other impersonators disguising as Lastma personnel to immediately desist from such illegal acts as more surveillance personnel have been strategically deployed to hunt for them.
The suspect, Mr. Bamidele, according to the statement by the Agency, confessed to having been impersonating a reflective jacket as a LASTMA officer and extorting money from motorists particularly private car owners/ drivers at highbrow areas across the state.
The suspect, who confirmed to be living with his junior brother inside one of the Army barracks in Lagos, confessed further to have operated around Ikoyi, Obalende, Apongbon Bridge, Iporin and Olowu areas, apprehending both commercial and private cars for various traffic infractions, including driving against traffic (one-way).
The suspect, who hailed from ‘Atijere Town’ in Ondo State, further said he and his colleagues were making an average of N35,000 from extortions on daily basis.
“Any motorists particularly private car owners I caught dropping someone at any undesignated bus stop paid between N15,000 to N20,000 while those caught for driving against traffic (one-way) paid a minimum of N35,000,” he said.
One of the complainants, Mr. Adewusi Adebola, confirmed that the suspect (Omotutu Bamidele) apprehended him for ‘obstruction’ on the 6th of March, 2023 around Spac Bus Stop by Awolowo Road, Ikoyi and collected N20,000 from him for dropping his colleagues.
This was just as Adebola, owner of a Toyota Corolla (LSR 299 AY), disclosed that he had written series of negative stories about activities of LASTMA on social media, particularly on ‘Twitter’ since the ugly incident happened until he was called by Agency’s Management that the man he reported that extorted money from him was a fake traffic officer and had been arrested.
“Honestly speaking, I had written series of negative stories about activities of LASTMA on social media, particularly on ‘Twitter’ since the ugly incident happened until I was called by LASTMA Management that the man I reported that extorted money from me was a fake traffic officer and that he had been arrested,” he said.
Another complainant, Obinna Kingsley, who laid his via one of the LASTMA social media handles (Twitter), said he was forced to transfer N50,000 to the arrested suspect (Omotutu Bamidele) for ‘Obstruction’ on Awolowo Road by Obalende Bridge towards Tafawa Balewa Square (T.B.S).
Meanwhile, the Director, Legal Department (LASTMA), Barr. Akerele Kehinde, disclosed that the arrested suspect would be charged to court on Monday, 27th of March, 2023, with all items recovered from him, including fake identity card and a reflective jacket, in accordance with the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State.
