55-Year Old Fake Traffic Officer Nabbed In Lagos

One Omotutu Bamidele, 55, was over the weekend nabbed by operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) for impersonating the agency around Ikoyi area of Lagos.

The suspect who hails from Atijere town in Ondo State said he and his colleagues make an average of N35,000 from extorting motorists on daily basis.

Items recovered from him include fake identity card and a reflex jacket.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba said that the suspect was arrested at Olu Holloway Road by Alfred Rewane area of Ikoyi by a LASTMA Monitoring and Surveillance team.

According to Oreagba, the Agency carried out a special monitoring and surveillance operations about the suspect and got him arrested in response to complaints from two motorists: Obinna Kingsley and Adewusi Adebola via LASTMA hotlines and social media handles.

Investigation conducted revealed that the suspect has been extorting motorists for various traffic offences ranging from seat-belt, obstructions, illegal over-taking and one-way.

“It is disheartening getting complaints from road users particularly motorists on activities of these unscrupulous elements impersonating and extorting money from them,” a statement by the Director, Public Affairs Department of LASTMA Adebayo Taofiq quoted LASTMA boss, Oreagba as saying.

The suspect, Bamidele, also confessed to have operated around Ikoyi, Obalende, Apongbon Bridge, Iporin, Olowu areas; apprehending and extorting both commercial and private cars for various traffic offences.

“Any motorists particularly private car owners i caught dropping someone at any undesignated bus stop paid between N15,000 to N20,000 while those caught for driving against traffic (One-way) paid a minimum of N35,000,” the suspect confessed.