Traffic Light: How Policemen, LASTMA Officers Extort Motorists In Lagos Community

Commuters, who took the route regularly, as well as those who had businesses around the vicinity, appeared to be aware of the extortion at the junction.

While also disguising as a driver who had just been arrested for a traffic offence, the correspondent visited some PoS operators within the vicinity and confirmed that the extortion had been going on for a while.

One of the operators said, “That is what they do always. They bring people here to withdraw money after they have been arrested and the amount their victims withdraw from us ranges between N10,000 and N60,000.”

Another PoS operator, however, suggested that the correspondent should offer the officers N5,000, saying the law enforcement agents would take it.

A motorist, who identified himself as Taiwo and claimed to be a recent victim, said he was also accused of moving when the traffic light was red.

He said, “The day I was arrested, one of them who was in mufti forced his way into my car, and was joined by another officer and they ordered me to drive towards the state secretariat, Alausa.

“At first, I could not even wrap my head around their allegations that I beat the traffic light, but I just kept driving. It was during our conversation that he suggested that I bail myself out before getting to Alausa where my car would be impounded and may not be recovered again.

“Then we began to negotiate. It was in the course of the negotiation that he asked me to make a detour from the express back to the passage under the Otedola Bridge, as I drove back to Berger where he took me to a PoS vendor. This was after he declined that I do transfer to him. I gave him N5,000.”

Another road user, who gave his name as Tokunbo, said he was stopped twice at the location.

“The first time it happened, I challenged them that I did not commit any offence, and of course and I called their bluff. I also threatened to take them up, so they allowed me to go.

“The second time it happened, I didn’t take it lightly with them since I knew what they were up to. It was after I reacted that they started asking me to give them something, and I refused,” he added.

The extortion point is close to the Isheri Police Station.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, denied knowledge of the extortion ring.

He said, “I am not aware of any complaints that any of our officers are extorting money from motorists at that location. We are not an irresponsible organisation. If you provide us with evidence that our officers are misbehaving and engaging in extortion there, of course, we will take it up.

“If you’re at the headquarters today, you will see officers that were reported by their DPOs to the Commissioner of Police because they misbehaved. So, please let us know. The DPO in the area will be summoned and we will make sure that it is looked into.”

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, said the state would do something about the traffic light.

He said, “What you have observed is a technical problem which no one has brought to our notice. If we observe it then we will rectify it. Most of them work automatically and are automatically timed. Fortunately now, I am with the Commissioner for Transportation and he is telling them what is going on there. So, we are going to look into it.”

On the extortion, he said, “I can’t speak for the police, but I can speak for LASTMA and the traffic light. If any LASTMA official extorts you, just report such an officer and we will take him or her up.”

Source: Punch Online