Lagos CP apprehends Police officers, LASTMA, FRSC personnel over extortion

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, on Sunday arrested 20 members of the Special Task Force on the Apapa/Oshodi expressway gridlock, over extortion of truck drivers and other motorists. 

The suspects include 15 thugs, three policemen, an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA and an official of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC. 

IdanNews gathered that their arrests followed numerous reports of their extortion of truck drivers and other motorists on the ever-busy expressway.

However, the extortion reports prompted Lagos CP, Idowu Owohunwa to set up an enforcement team with a charge to raid the axis of the extortionists, irrespective of the agency they belong to.

According to Lagos State Police spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, the enforcement team commenced a raid of the axis on July 4, 2023.

Hudenyin said: “The enforcement team, which was led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) comprises tactical teams and provost officers from the state headquarters.

“The team was at Mile 2 area of the state, a hotbed for the brazen extortionists, weekend, where a total of 15 thugs were arrested in the act, while three police officers, one FRSC operative and one LASTMA personnel were also arrested for being in cahoots with the touts.

“CP Owohunwa hereby warns that any law enforcement personnel, irrespective of agency, found complicit in the extortion racketeering would not be spared as they would be apprehended and dealt with in accordance with the law.

“Meanwhile, the CP has assured Lagosians, especially motorists that the newly set-up enforcement team would sustain the raids and replicate them in other parts of the state where the same issues exist until total sanity is restored.”