Terror ‘LASTMA’ task force officials on the prowl, terrorise, extort Lagos motorists

Tola Adenubi writes on the experiences of Lagos motorists extorted by officials of the Lagos State Taskforce Revenue as well as the exploits of the officials on Lagos roads.

In Lagos, many motorists have fallen victim to a cartel of traffic officials who masquerade as revenue task force.

This illegal task force which poses as officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has been terrorising motorists on Lagos roads, fleecing many of their hard-earned money while impounding vehicles whose owners refuse to part with money.

An investigation by Sunday Tribune has shown that the illegal task force which operates under the name “Lagos State Transport Revenue  Taskforce” has left many vehicle owners wondering if this is the new Lagos that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu promised during his second term campaign.

While speaking to Sunday Tribune, some victims gave different narratives of their experience with officials of the task force, calling on the state government to arrest the situation as soon as possible.

According to Alfa Yusuf Adeshina, a commercial cab driver, “This illegal task force is everywhere on state roads. Some even wear uniforms of LASTMA on jeans trousers while carrying out their nefarious acts.

“Where I suspected that something is fishy is when they collected N20,000 from me after arresting me around Ojota area and gave me a POS machine printout as a receipt for payment of the fine.

“When I checked the POS printout, the account where my payment went was not a government-owned account but an account belonging to one Bolaji Olaoshebikan.

“But they move around in groups and there is little or nothing that somebody can do. They even have handcuffs which they brandish when operating, giving their victims this fear factor feeling.

“I was arrested for using the BRT Lane. Yes, I admit my offence because it is against the law to use the BRT Lane, but the N20,000 that I paid was not paid into a government-owned account.

“They took me to a place before the Ojota pedestrian bridge and said they would tow my vehicle to the LASTMA office in Oshodi if I didn’t cooperate. They reminded me that in Lagos, punishment for those who flout traffic rules includes vehicle forfeiture.

“Since my cab is my sole means of making ends meet, I couldn’t afford to forfeit it. So, I begged them to take N20,000 from me because they initially demanded N50,000.

“After many pleas, they collected the amount. When I asked if I have a receipt for the payment, they handed me the POS print-out.”

Another motorist, Mr Suleiman Abass, an Uber driver revealed that he also had an encounter with the suspicious task force team around Ketu axis recently.

“They arrested me for illegal parking and took me to a place they claimed to be their office in Ketu. When we got there, I saw about three vehicles parked there and they told me the vehicles parked belonged to drivers who refused to bail themselves out. That such vehicles will be forfeited after necessary court orders are received

“My offence was parking to ease myself along the service lane some distance before Ikosi entrance. I had to pay N40,000 before they released my vehicle.

“I wasn’t even given a receipt for the payment. They said their name is Lagos State Transport Revenue  Taskforce and that the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation has statutorily mandated them to rid Lagos roads of errant motorists.

“But the fact that I didn’t get a receipt for the N40,000 payment made me raise an eyebrow about their activities,” Mr Abass told Sunday Tribune exclusively.

Checks by the Sunday Tribune revealed that the task force makes close to N250,000 every day.

When Sunday Tribune got to the space being used by the task force as an office beside the Ketu-Ojota underbridge, about eight vehicles were parked in the premises. A retinue of angry-looking touts sat in front of the yard, harassing intruders.

Findings reveal that not less than N30,000 will be paid for the release of each vehicle.

“Each vehicle pays nothing less than N30,000 after much appeal,” a resident who lives around the Ikosi area of Ketu told Sunday Tribune exclusively.

Sunday Tribune obtained a receipt of payment of N34,000 fine levelled on a motorist in Lagos by officials of the task force on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. It was gathered that the motorist was accosted for driving on the BRT lane.

The fine was paid into an Opay account belonging to one Vivian Kasarachi Nwagbaraji.

When Sunday Tribune spoke to the account owner over the phone, she denied being an official of LASTMA, labelling the caller as an armed robber.

When pressed about why her account was used to receive traffic fine, she said: “Not my own account, please. It is not my own.”

When Sunday Tribune asked the Director of the Public Affairs Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, he denied knowledge of any task force working with the authority bearing such a name.

In the words of the LASTMA spokesman, “The operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority LASTMA does not have any outfit with such a name.

“All our officers across 45 zones (including BRT) are always in uniform whenever they are on duty while controlling and managing traffic across the state.

“It is not possible for LASTMA to have such an outfit because our officers don’t deal with cash even when traffic violators are apprehended during enforcement. What we do is issue what is called a ‘Referral Notice’.

“Any traffic offender apprehended would appear at the  Lagos Mobile Court with this ‘Referral Notice’.

“The offence committed, date, type of vehicle and areas would be indicated on the Referral Notice by the apprehending officer.

“It may also interest you to note that LASTMA is moving towards a modern technology advancement on enforcing the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018 as amended.

“The Lagos State government recently deployed Traffic Management Solution (TMS) devices which are hand-held cameras to LASTMA officers.

“These cameras have been very transparent because they capture traffic offenders in real-time the offence is committed with both v0ideo and photographs.

“It also assists in the quick dispensation of justice because of the presentation of video and photographs recorded by these cameras at the court.

“To be sincere, I am not aware of those you mentioned extorting money from innocent motorists and they are not affiliated or established by LASTMA.

“The only ‘task force’ I know of is the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Taskforce with their Head office inside ‘Arena’ at Bolade in Oshodi, Lagos.”

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