• Friday, March 29, 2024
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RRS arrests 5 LG ‘officials’ for extorting Lagos motorists

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Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have arrested five suspects posing as local government traffic officers for extorting motorists in LASU-Igando Expressway.

The suspects, who claimed they were on contract with the Ikotun-Igando Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Alimosho local government, were arrested on Monday afternoon after receiving complaint from one Abdulraham Olayiwola.

The suspects arrested include the gang leader, Taiwo Falodun (48), Mukaila Atanda (48), Adedire Olaniyi (40), Chibuzor Eze (26) and Akinseye Alex (48).

The suspect had last week Thursday extorted N41,000 from Olayiwola for not speeding on the expressway.

Olayiwola, who is professor, according to investigations, was heading for Igando from LASU when the suspects, operating on Keke NAPEP forced him to park for not speeding. He was forced to drive to their hideout on LASU-Igando Expressway. It was here, his vehicle was impounded and made to pay N41,000 before the vehicle was released to him the following day.

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Over 15 private vehicles and two commercial buses were discovered to have also been impounded by the miscreants and their tyres deflated, at the time of their arrest.

Some of their victims described the activities of the suspects as illegal. One of them, who declined to mention his name, said that the suspects demanded N30,000 from him for his vehicle not to be towed to Badagry, where he would be made to pay N75,000.

Investigations revealed that many private car owners were paying cash and through a POS allegedly owned by one of the suspects.

According to Falodun, one of the suspects, a dismissed spy policeman and three teams operate for Ikotun-Igando LCDA. He claimed they were engaged to work for the local government council on contract. He noted that the team remits N20,000 weekly to the local council.

Recovered from the team were payment tickets issued to their victims ranging from N25,000 to N41,000 and one tri cycle.