The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Mobile) Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, sentenced a fake LASTMA Officer, David Oluchukwu, to a four-month jail term for impersonation and extortion.
The convict it will be recalled was apprehended in Lekki last week while plying his trade.
Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department. LASTMA disclosed this in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday.
Taofiq said that the fake LASTMA officer was sentenced to four-month imprisonment on Monday for impersonating and extorting money from motorists’ particularly commercial bus drivers in Lagos.
The convicted fake LASTMA officer was arraigned on a two-count charge of “Conduct likely to cause a breach of peace” and “Impersonation” before the court.
The Magistrate, Adesanya Ademola, sentenced Oluchukwu to jail term without any option of fine after he pleaded guilty to the two-count charges against him.
Adesanya said that the convict should serve the jail term without any option of a fine due to the gravity of the offenses.
The Court Prosecutor, Agbaje Oladotun, stated that both offenses levied against the convict contravened Section 168 (D) and Section 78 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State (2015) respectively.
In his reaction to the judgment, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Bolaji Oreagba, said the judgment was a welcome development.
Oreagba said that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others who were still extorting money from innocent members of the public under pretenses.
According to him, our Surveillance and Intelligence Unit which has now been fully restructured would continue to hunt for other bad elements disturbing the peace of society.
“We are urging motorists, particularly commercial bus operators to adhere strictly to the dictates of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018
