Fake officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), are now on the prowl in Lagos, extorting money from motorists.
The fake officials wear LASTMA uniforms pretending that they were officials of the traffic agency sent to arrest traffic law offenders.
The areas where these fake LASTMA officials operate, according to The Tide investigations include Ishashi bus stop,Volks, Iyana-aran and Iyana-ipaja, among others.
They extort between N25, 000 to N50, 000 from motorists who contravene the traffic laws of the State.
A commercial driver, Mr Ejiro Lawson, who was a victim of extortion by the fake LASTMA officials said he was arrested near Iyana Iba and was forced to pay N50,000 before his bus was released to him.
“They stopped me near Iyana Iba filing station and accused me of committing a traffic offence which I knew nothing about. They detained my bus for hours until I gave them N50,00, “Ejiro angrily told The Tide.
Investigations at theLASTMA office, Oshodi revealed that those who extorted money from Ejiro Lawson were not LASTMA officials.
An officer of the agency who simply identified himself as Kayode said the management has been receiving several complaints about fake LASTMA officials extorting money from motorists, promising that the agency would do something about the extortion going on in the State.
Nkpemenye Mcdominic, Lagos
