LASTMA: fake official gets four-month jail term without fine 

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Mobile Court, sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, Lagos, has sentenced one David Oluchkwu, to a four-month jail term. 

He was arraigned  for impersonating the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority(LASTMA), official and extorting money from commercial bus drivers in Lagos.

Oluchukwu was brought before the court on a two-count charge of conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and impersonation.

He was arrested, last Wednesday,December 14th, by a  LASTMA patrol team in the Lekki area of Lagos, while he was going about his activities of intercepting and extorting money from unsuspecting commercial buses that stopped to either drop or pick up passengers under the Lekki bridge.

Magistrate Adesanya Ademola, therefore, sentenced  Oluchukwu to a four-month jail term without any option of fine, after he pleaded guilty to the two-count charges levied against him.

The  Prosecutor, Agbaje Oladotun, said the offences levelled against Oluchukwu contravened sections 168 (D) and  78 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State (2015) respectively.

Reacting to the judgment, the General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Bolaji Oreagba, said it was a welcome development, as it would serve as a deterrent to those extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public under pretence, Oreagba stated in a statement.

Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA,  Mr Adebay Taofiq, said, “ our Surveillance and Intelligence Unit which has now been fully restructured will continue to hunt for other bad elements disturbing the peace of the society”“But he was quick to caution  motorists particularly commercial bus operators to adhere strictly to the dictates of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018“PIX: Crime“