Following a report by The PUNCH, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority on Sunday said a seven-man panel had been set up to investigate the allegation of extortion levelled against three officials of the agency in the state.

Our correspondent, in a report titled – ‘Anger as LASTMA officials clamp down on motorists with trumped-up charges,’ said some commercial bus drivers alleged that the accused officials extorted money from them to the tune of N13,000, N15,000 and N20,000 in the state.

The Director, Public Affairs Department LASTMA, Taofiq Adebayo, in a statement, said the General Manager, Bolaji Oreagba, set up the seven-man panel to thoroughly look into the allegations, adding that anyone found culpable would be made to face the consequences under the extant rule of the state civil service.

He said, “The attention of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has been drawn to a publication inside Punch Newspaper on pages 28/29 with the caption ‘Anger as LASTMA officials clamp down on motorists with trumped-up charges’, dated November 8, 2022, where three officials of the agency were alleged to have collected N13,000, N15,000 and N20,000 respectively from different commercial bus drivers in Lagos.

“ The General Manager, Bolaji Oreagba, disclosed over the weekend that the agency had summoned all officials mentioned inside the publication to appear before a seven-man investigation panel set up to thoroughly look into those allegations as published.

We have set up a seven-man investigation panel to thoroughly look into those alleged extortions levied against some of our officials and I assure the public that the outcome of the panel would be made public.

“We have it on record that some of our officials alleged to have been recently found wanting for official misconduct or unethical behaviour are currently facing disciplinary panel as the management would not condone any act of indiscipline from any official.”

Adebayo said the GM encouraged members of the public to come forward with evidence of their complaints against any misbehaved officials via the agency’s complaint hotlines, 08100565860, 08174722227, 08129928597,

He said Oreagba, however, pointed out that there were many LASTMA officials dedicated, conscientious and professionally carrying out their functions as observed during the LASTMA Connect programme aired on traffic radio as many Lagosians acknowledged the good work of the agency’s traffic control personnel.

He advised all road users in the state to obey the traffic regulations so as not to run afoul of the law, stressing that some violators were fond of offering traffic personnel bribes to avoid prosecution without realising that the law frowned on both giver and the taker.

Macphenson:
These criminals have become a thorn in the flesh of Lagos motorists.

I remember a day I was driving to airport. On getting to UBA headquaters on the bridge, they carried their nail under my tire, that one leg of my tire is in the line marked for people going down to Marina. I was shocked. They jumped into my car and said I should settle them 70k.

Then they brought one useless tout and he claimed he is a police inspector. With the way they were odering the idiot around, I knew he will never be a policeman. Later they told him to drive the car and collect the money from me.

The idiot was crusing with my Benz, driving inside Lagos Island and showing his.fellow touts he is crusing in Benz. We got to a place he parked for me to withdraw the.money from ATM, i shouted fire, fire, and jumped out of the car and he quickly followed.me, I turned round, entered the drivers side and drove off.

In as much as LASTMA is important in maitaining traffice order in Lagos, they have gone rogue, especially ever since Tinubu declared for presidency. When I was talking with those guys, they told me they are on target to raise funds for campaign.

Oluwapresley:
They should come to Adekunle Panti police station and Coman probe those guys there.

Antoeni:


https://punchng.com/lastma-orders-probe-after-punch-report-on-extortion/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1668997915

abbeyfel:
Recently, my partner was operated for fibroid at an hospital at ikorodu. On a fateful day that I was to go pick her up from the hospital, I was driving through Oshodi so I decided to pick up some passengers to subsidise for fuel cause I've been so spent at the moment.

After picking up like just three passengers, the agbero boys asked for money, so I was like "with how many passengers now"? Omo the guys just went haywire, saying I was forming big boy for them, and next thing was to call one guy who just stood looking at us from a short distance. Next thing was guy showed up oo. I thought it was a joke, next was I found my car at the LASTMA office at oshodi.

I cried to use the emotional weapon cause I was truly distressed. Showed them the huge fibroid that was removed from my partner, even showed them her state at the hospital at that very moment. Omo this guys still collected 17k from me ooo. Hmmmm. I can't explain how I felt in words.

These guys are just evil. Most of them. They no longer manage the traffic they were set up to manage, now all they do is major in torturing and robbing honest working Citizens in the name of traffic offences!