The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed the arrest of a fake traffic officer, Bamidele Omotutu, who was extorting motorists across the state. In a Sunday statement, Director of Public Affairs Taofiq Adebayo said that General Manager Bolaji Oreagba confirmed the suspect was apprehended on Olu Holloway Road, near the Alfred Rewane area of Ikoyi, by a LASTMA monitoring and surveillance team led by Zonal Head Ashafa Moyosore.
Oreagba explained that the operation resulted from complaints received through LASTMA hotlines and social‑media channels from members of the public, Obinna Kingsley and Adewusi Adebola. Investigations revealed that the suspect had been demanding large sums of money from motorists for alleged traffic offences such as not wearing seatbelts, causing obstructions, illegal overtaking and violating one‑way rules at various locations on Lagos Island. “It is disheartening to receive complaints from road users about these unscrupulous individuals impersonating traffic officers and extorting money,” the statement read.
Oreagba urged the public to be vigilant, noting that LASTMA operates a cash‑less policy; any violators are taken to court and issued a referral notice. He warned impersonators to cease their illegal activities, adding that additional surveillance personnel have been deployed to locate them. The arrested suspect, 55‑year‑old Bamidele Omotutu, confessed to using a reflective jacket to pose as a LASTMA officer and extorting motorists, especially private car owners, in affluent areas of the state. He claimed that he and his associates earned an average of N35,000 per day from extortion. According to Omotutu, motorists dropping passengers at undesignated bus stops were charged between N15,000 and N20,000, while those caught driving against traffic paid at least N35,000.
Director of the Legal Department Kehinde Akerele disclosed that Omotutu will be charged in court on Monday, 27 March 2023, with all items recovered from him—including a fake identity card and the reflective jacket—pursuant to the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State.
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