A Lagos State Special Offences mobile court in Bolade, Oshodi on Monday, March 27 sentenced a fake LASTMA officer, Omotutu Bamidele to a two- year jail term for impersonating and extorting money from motorists across Lagos.
Bamidele was arraigned by LASTMA on a two-count charge of impersonation as a public officer by representing as staff of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (S.78 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015)” and obtaining by fraudulent trick (Sec. 323 of the Criminal Law, Lagos State)” before the court.
In a press statement communicated by LASTMA director of public affairs, Adebayo Taofiq the magistrate, Kehinde Ogundare sentenced Omotutu Bamidele to two-year jail term without an option of fine after he pled guilty to the charges against him.
Magistrate Ogundare emphasized that the convict should serve the jail term without an option of fine due to the gravity of the offences.
The prosecutor Barr. Olufemi Adekunle stated that both offences levied against the convict contravened Criminal Law of Lagos State (2015).
In his reaction to the judgement, the General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Bolaji Oreagba said the judgement was a welcome development as it would serve as deterrent to others who are still extorting money from innocent members of public under false pretence.
“Our monitoring and surveillance unit which has now been fully restructured would continue to hunt for other bad elements disturbing the peace of the society,” Oreagba said.
