The Ministry of Transportation’s Transport Operation Team and the Governor’s Monitoring Team on illegal extortion of truck drivers and false enforcement activities have apprehended 11 fake enforcement personnel.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos, signed by Mr Olawale Musa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation.
Osiyemi said that the fake enforcement personnel were apprehended along Ibeju-Lekki Junction and the Dangote Refinery area in Akodo.
According to him, the fake enforcers operated under the guise of being local government personnel.
“Their actions are illegal and unacceptable, given the current economic challenges in the country.
“The ministry is aware of similar activities across the state and assures that arrests will be made, as their activities are a stain on the administration’s efforts to mitigate the prevailing challenges,” he said.
Affirming the words of the commissioner, Musa revealed that the arrest was made in response to several complaints and petitions that had been written to the ministry.
He said that the petitions were about the illegal activities of some faceless miscreants along the corridor.
Musa said that the Lagos Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and other agencies in like manner were the ones empowered by the law to oversee traffic management and monitoring.
“The apprehended fake enforcers will be charged to court and prosecuted,” he said.
Musa urged Lagosians to collaborate with the government by reporting any illegal transport enforcement activity to the ministry.
He assured that the ministry would not relent in its efforts to rid the roads in the metropolis of fake enforcers.
He further warned others in the same habit of extortion to put a stop to it before being caught by the strong arms of government.