Fake LASTMA Officer Who Makes ₦35,000 Daily Sentenced To 2 Years Imprisonment

Fake LASTMA officer who makes ₦35,000 daily through extortion sentenced to two years imprisonment.

Suspect confessed to extorting money from motorists particularly private car owners/drivers at highbrow areas across the State.

55 year old suspect have been extorting money for traffic offences ranging from seat-belt, obstructions, illegal over-taking and One-way.

The Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi on Monday, 27th of March, 2023 sentenced an arrested fake LASTMA Officer, Omotutu Bamidele, to a 2- year jail term for impersonating and extorting money from motorists across Lagos.

A press statement released by LASTMA quoted that Magistrate Kehinde Ogundare sentenced Omotutu Bamidele to a 2-year jail term without any option of fine after he pleaded ‘Guilty’ to the 2- count charged levied against him.

In his reaction to the judgement, the General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Mr Bolaji Oreagba said the judgement was a welcome development as it would serve as deterrent to others who are still extorting money from innocent members of public under false pretence.

According to Mr. Oreagba :

“Our Monitoring and Surveillance Unit which has now been fully restructured would continue to hunt for other bad elements disturbing the peace of the society”.

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Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) had over the weekend nabbed 55 year old Omotutu Bamidele around Ikoyi area of Lagos.

Investigation conducted revealed that the suspect have been extorting huge sum of money from motorists for various traffic offences ranging from seat-belt, obstructions, illegal over-taking and One-way at different locations around the Lagos Island.

The suspect confessed to extorting money from motorists particularly private car owners/drivers at highbrow areas across the State. He said he and his colleagues are making an average of ₦35,000 from extortions on daily basis.

“Any motorists particularly private car owners i caught dropping someone at any undesignated bus stop paid between ₦15,000 to ₦20,000 while those caught for driving against traffic (One-way) paid a minimum of ₦35,000”.

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