A 55-year-old man named Omotutu Bamidele was apprehended over the weekend for pretending to be a representative of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in the Ikoyi neighborhood of Lagos.
The suspect, who is from Atijere town in Ondo State, claimed that he and his associates extort motorists every day for an average of N35,000.
He was found to be in possession of a reflex jacket and a fake identification card.
A LASTMA Monitoring and Surveillance team arrested the suspect in the Olu Holloway Road by Alfred Rewane area of Ikoyi, according to the general manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba.
In response to complaints from two drivers, Obinna Kingsley and Adewusi Adebola, via LASTMA hotlines and social media handles, the Agency, according to Oreagba, conducted a special monitoring and surveillance operation about the suspect and had him arrested.
According to the results of the investigation, the suspect has been extorting drivers for a variety of traffic violations, including failure to wear a seatbelt, obstructions, illegal passing, and driving the wrong way.
The head of LASTMA, Oreagba, was quoted in a statement by the director of the organization’s public affairs department as saying, “It is disheartening getting complaints from road users, particularly motorists, on activities of these unscrupulous elements impersonating and extorting money from them.”
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Bamidele, the suspect, admitted to operating in the Ikoyi, Obalende, Apongbon Bridge, Iporin, and Olowu neighborhoods, where he apprehended and demanded money from drivers of both private and commercial vehicles for a variety of traffic violations.
“Any drivers, especially private car owners, I caught dropping someone off at any unofficial bus stop paid between N15,000 and N20,000, while those I caught driving against traffic (one-way) paid a minimum of N35,000,” the suspect admitted.
