The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) yesterday arrested a 47-year-old man, Adetayo Adewodun, for impersonation and extortion of N7,800 from a motorist around the Itire Junction area of Lagos.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Adewodun had stopped Ayano Stephen, driver of a white Hilux vehicle (GME 259 TE) belonging to a construction firm, for allegedly making an illegal turn.
Posing as a LASTMA operative, he demanded N80,000 as a supposed penalty for the traffic offence. Unable to pay, Stephen pleaded and eventually handed over N7,800, the only cash he had on him.
According to Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment at LASTMA, the motorist became suspicious shortly after the encounter and contacted the agency through its toll-free hotline (0800-00-LASTMA / 0800-005-27862) to verify the officer’s identity.
Following the report, operatives of the Surveillance and Intelligence Unit, acting under the directive of General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki, were deployed to the location. The suspect attempted to flee on sighting the enforcement team but was pursued, apprehended, and taken to LASTMA’s headquarters in Oshodi for interrogation.
During questioning, Adewodun confessed to being part of a three-man syndicate that routinely posed as LASTMA officials around the Itire area, extorting unsuspecting motorists under the guise of enforcing traffic laws. He also disclosed that the group operates across multiple junctions, making an average of N65,000 daily.
Bakare-Oki commended the motorist’s vigilance, describing it as an act of civic responsibility. He reiterated the agency’s commitment to integrity, professionalism, and transparency, stressing that genuine LASTMA officers can be identified by their uniforms, name tags, and service identification numbers.
He urged motorists to remain alert and report any suspicious enforcement activities or impersonation attempts through the agency’s official communication channels. “I can assure the public that the suspect will be arraigned before a mobile court to serve as a deterrent to other unscrupulous elements who habitually disguise as LASTMA officials to extort innocent members of the public,” he said.
Bakare-Oki reaffirmed LASTMA’s determination to maintain order, discipline, and sanity on Lagos roads while protecting law-abiding motorists from fraudulent exploitation.
