Court Orders Remand of Suspected LASTMA Impersonator in Lagos
A Mobile Magistrate Court in Oshodi, Lagos State, has ordered the remand of Adetayo Adewodun, who is facing charges of impersonating Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials and conduct likely to breach the peace.
In a statement on Thursday, LASTMA spokesperson Adebayo Taofiq said the suspect was apprehended for allegedly extorting N7,800 from a motorist at Itire Junction.
He reportedly stopped Ayano Stephen, who was driving a white Hilux vehicle with number plate GME 259 TE, claiming the driver had made an unlawful turn.
Posing as a LASTMA officer, Adewodun allegedly demanded N80,000 as a supposed penalty for the traffic violation. Following his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge.
“The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has confirmed that one Mr Adetayo Adewodun, aged 47, who was earlier apprehended for impersonating a LASTMA officer and fraudulently extorting the sum of N7,800 from an unsuspecting motorist at Itire Junction, has been remanded by the Lagos Mobile Court following his arraignment on a two-count charge bordering on conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and impersonation.
“The accused, who pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him by the Lagos State Government, was consequently ordered to be remanded in a correctional facility pending the perfection of his bail conditions, as the matter was adjourned for further hearing,” Taofiq stated.
Reacting to the court proceedings, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki stressed that justice must be done in the matter.
Speaking through Taofiq, he said, “He emphasised that this judicial action would serve as a stern deterrent to other unscrupulous elements who habitually impersonate LASTMA officers to defraud innocent members of the public under false pretences.
“Bakare-Oki further reaffirmed the Authority’s unwavering commitment to its statutory mandate of entrenching order, discipline, and sanity across Lagos roads, while ensuring that law-abiding citizens are adequately protected from fraudulent exploitation and harassment,” Taofiq concluded.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
