The Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi on Monday, 27 March 2023 convicted a bogus Lagos State Traffic Management Authority Officer, Omotutu Bamidele, to a 2-year prison term for impersonating and extorting money from motorists around Lagos.
The convicted fake LASTMA officer was arraigned by LASTMA on a 2-count charge of impersonating a public officer by claiming to be a staff of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (S.78 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015)” and obtaining money by fraudulent trick (Sec. 323 of the Criminal Law, Lagos State) before the court.
It was claimed that Bamidele was detained a few days ago on Olu Holloway Road, near the Alfred Rewane area of Ikoyi by a LASTMA Monitoring/Surveillance team headed by the Zonal Chief, Ashafa Moyosore.
In a press statement made by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Mr Adebayo Taofiq stated Magistrate Kehinde Ogundare sentenced Omotutu Bamidele to a 2-year prison term without any choice of fine after he pled guilty to the 2- count allegations filed against him.
Magistrate Ogundare highlighted that the prisoner should spend jail time without any choice fine owing to the nature of the charges committed.
The Court Prosecutor Barr. Olufemi Adekunle noted that both charges charged against the defendant contravened the Criminal Code of Lagos State (2015). (2015).
In his response to the ruling, the General Manager of LASTMA Mr Bolaji Oreagba said the judgement was a positive step as it would serve as a deterrence to those who are still extorting money from innocent members of the public under the false guise.
Oreagba further highlighted that “Our (LASTMA) Monitoring and Surveillance Unit which has now been completely reformed will continue to seek for such negative elements upsetting the peace of the society”
