The Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court, sitting at Bolade, Oshodi on Monday, 27 March 2023, sentenced Omotutu Bamidele to a two‑year jail term for impersonating a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officer and extorting motorists across Lagos. Bamidele was arraigned by LASTMA on two counts: impersonating a public officer by claiming to be a staff member of LASTMA (Section 78 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015) and obtaining money by fraudulent trick (Section 323 of the Criminal Law, Lagos State).
According to reports, Bamidele was arrested a few days earlier on Olu Holloway Road, near the Alfred Rewane area of Ikoyi, by a LASTMA Monitoring/Surveillance team led by Zonal Head Ashafa Moyosore. In a press statement released by the Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Mr. Adebayo Taofiq confirmed that Magistrate Kehinde Ogundare sentenced Bamidele to two years in prison without the option of a fine after the defendant pleaded guilty to the two charges. Magistrate Ogundare emphasized that the severity of the offences warranted a custodial sentence without any fine.
Court Prosecutor Barr. Olufemi Adekunle noted that both offences contravened the Criminal Law of Lagos State (2015). In response to the judgment, LASTMA General Manager Mr. Bolaji Oreagba described the decision as a welcome development that would deter others from extorting money from the public under false pretences. Oreagba added that LASTMA’s Monitoring and Surveillance Unit, now fully restructured, will continue to pursue individuals who disturb the peace of society.
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