By Moses Omorogieva
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has arrested a serial impersonator after allegedly collecting N140,000 from owners of vehicles impounded for traffic infractions.
The spokesperson of the agency, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, in a statement said the suspect was using the Agency’s name to defraud members of the public.
Adebayo said that the suspect was arrested on Tuesday by the monitoring and surveillance team of the agency at Oshodi,
He said that the suspect was arrested after the agency received complaints of extortions from owners of inter-state commercial buses impounded and ticketed for traffic infractions around Moshalasi by Alaka area of Surulere.
The image maker said that investigations conducted revealed that the arrested suspect, (name withheld), has been collecting huge amount of money from innocent owners of vehicles impounded by LASTMA officials during enforcement operations.
He said that the suspect confessed to be making average of N250,000 weekly from the illegal deal with his other colleagues, now at large.
“The arrested suspect collected N140,000 from owners/drivers by promising to help them get their impounded vehicles released from the custody of the agency.
“It is disheartening getting complaints from road users, particularly owners of impounded vehicles on activities of these unscrupulous elements impersonating and extorting money from different owners of impounded vehicles.
“The impostor has been tarnishing the good image of the agency before the public,” he said.
Taofiq said the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Bakare-Oki Olalekan, had warned the general public to be wary of these unscrupulous elements.
He said that the agency operated a cashless policy, as any violator arrested would be charged to Court via a ‘Referral Notice’ issued to them.
The spokesperson said that more surveillance/monitoring personnel have been strategically deployed to hunt for these unscrupulous elements duping innocent motorists in the state. (NAN)
