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Tayo Olanipekun
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has arrested five of its officials for extorting motorists at various parts of the state.
The traffic officials are Bamidele Sheu, a level seven officer aged 48 and resident of 68, Oke Popo Street, Lagos Island; Ope Adisa, aged 32 and level 5 officer of 8, Freeman Street, Lagos Island and Babatunde Aluko, a 37 year-old level 4 officer of 15, Oriwu street, Ikorodu.
Jimo Olaosebikan and Emmanuel Padonu were also arrested during the week by the surveillance unit and provost officials of the Agency at Okokomaiko and Mile 12 areas of the state respectively.
The first three errant officers were arrested last week, following a complaint to the Agency by one Akinmolayan Babatunde, a clearing agent,whose container truck with number AA 553 NGW was illegally apprehended at Marina area of Lagos Island and was asked for a bribe of N80, 000 by the traffic officers before the vehicle could be released.
Olaosebikan was arrested by men of LASTMA surveillance team unit at Okokomaiko, along Lagos- Badagry expressway for illegally collecting the sum of N20,000 from a female motorist whom he alleged to have made 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 of Lagos state last Wednesday morning.
The clearing agent, Babatunde, said he was accompanying the container truck on Monday morning to deliver goods at Walter Carrington Street on Victoria Island when it was forced to stop close to the State House by the three LASTMA officials working with others in plain cloths, for driving the vehicle at an unauthorised hour.
He said all pleas to allow the truck go fell on deaf ears as the traffic officials and these men in mufti engaged him in fisticuffs, and the vehicle was eventually taken to Olowu removal yard of the Agency on the Island, where the bribe was demanded before its release.
It took the intervention of the zonal head and payment of N7, 000 to some men in mufti before the vehicle was allowed to go, according to Babatunde.
Speaking on the arrested officials, General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. 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 from the Agency to protect the good name of the hard working officers.”
According to him, “LASTMA 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.”
It is recalled that over 20 officials of the Agency have been dismissed this year alone for various acts of misconduct that were considered to be inimical to the service of the state and Agency.
