Adetayo Adewodun, a 45-year-old man who was apprehended by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) for impersonating the agency and extorting up to ₦65,000 daily from motorists around the Itire Junction axis of the state, has been remanded by a Mobile Court.
Adewodun was remanded following his arraignment on a two-count charge bordering on conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and impersonation.
The accused, who pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him by the Lagos State Government, was consequently ordered to be remanded in a correctional facility, pending the perfection of his bail conditions, as the matter was adjourned for further hearing.
It would be recalled that the suspect was apprehended by LASTMA operatives two days ago during a swift enforcement operation carried out by the agency’s Surveillance and Intelligence Unit, acting on the directive of the General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki.
The suspect, in collaboration with two accomplices currently at large, accosted Ayano Stephen, the driver of a white Hilux vehicle (registration number GME 259 TE), for allegedly making an unlawful turn around Itire Junction.
Posing as a bona fide LASTMA officer, Adewodun deceitfully demanded the sum of ₦80,000 as a supposed penalty for the alleged traffic offence.
The unsuspecting motorist eventually parted with ₦7,800, the only cash in his possession, which he reluctantly handed over to the suspect.
Reacting to the incident, Bakare-Oki described the suspect’s arraignment and subsequent remand as a welcome and commendable step, asserting that justice must take its course in accordance with the law.
He emphasized that the judicial action would serve as a stern deterrent to other unscrupulous individuals who habitually impersonate LASTMA officials to defraud innocent members of the public under false pretences.
Bakare-Oki further reaffirmed the Authority’s unwavering commitment to its statutory mandate of entrenching order, discipline, and sanity across Lagos roads, while ensuring that law-abiding citizens are protected from fraudulent exploitation and harassment.
