A Mobile Magistrate Court sitting in the Oshodi area of Lagos State has ordered the remand of a 47-year-old suspect, Adetayo Adewodun, for allegedly impersonating an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and engaging in conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
The LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed this in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to Taofiq, Adewodun was apprehended for posing as a LASTMA officer and extorting ₦7,800 from a motorist at Itire Junction, Surulere. He reportedly stopped one Ayano Stephen, who was driving a white Hilux with registration number GME 259 TE, and demanded ₦80,000 as a supposed penalty for an alleged traffic violation before extorting a smaller amount.
Taofiq explained that the suspect was arraigned before the Lagos Mobile Court on a two-count charge bordering on impersonation and conduct likely to breach the peace. Adewodun pleaded not guilty and was remanded in a correctional facility pending the perfection of his bail conditions. The matter has been adjourned for further hearing.
Reacting to the development, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said justice must take its course, emphasizing that the prosecution would serve as a deterrent to others.
“He stressed that this judicial action would serve as a stern warning to unscrupulous individuals who impersonate LASTMA officials to defraud innocent motorists,” the statement added.
Bakare-Oki reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to maintaining order, discipline, and sanity on Lagos roads while protecting law-abiding citizens from exploitation.
This is not the first time individuals have impersonated LASTMA officers. In March 2023, a man was sentenced to two years in prison for a similar offence, while another was arrested in August 2023 for illegally towing a vehicle while posing as a traffic officer.