Mr. Adewunmi Taiwo, a 45-year-old suspect who was detained by members of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) for posing as an agency officer, has admitted to making at least N750,000 in a month by defrauding unwary drivers who were apprehended for traffic violations.

The suspect has been held pending further proceedings after being apprehended during a sting operation on Oshodi Bridge.

Taiwo has been intimidating and extorting money from local private and commercial drivers by pretending to be a LASTMA officer.

Speaking about the event, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, General Manager of LASTMA, stated that the suspect had been using a white Hiace Coaster Bus, registered KJA 724 YJ, as a cover to harass nearby cars.

According to Bakare-Oki, “LASTMA officers found an official LASTMA uniform, including a branded raincoat, among his possessions after a thorough search of his vehicle, confirming his intentions to deceive.”

Mr Taiwo admitted to wearing the uniform to extort unwary drivers during questioning. He claimed to be from Ilesha, Osun State, and is married with three children. He targeted busy roads along Ikorodu Road and the Oshodi to Mile-2 Motorway.

He further acknowledged that he made between N15,000 and N25,000 per day from his illegal activities.

“This specific Hiace Coaster Bus was the subject of many extortion-related allegations to the agency. LASTMA’s Surveillance and Monitoring Unit was called in to look into the matter and eventually capture the perpetrator.

“We are steadfast in our resolve to preserve LASTMA’s professionalism and integrity.”

Therefore, Bakare-Oki issued a warning to anybody who uses LASTMA’s name for illegal purposes to stop immediately because “any attempt to tarnish the agency’s reputation will be met with the full force of the law when caught.” The suspect will face the appropriate charges.

He promised the public that the agency would execute the law strictly in order to protect Lagos State’s traffic control system’s effectiveness.

Bakare-Oki encouraged all drivers to report any suspicious activity using LASTMA’s toll-free hotlines (080000527862) in order to help eradicate illegal behaviour among agency staff and improve service delivery.