The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Mobile) Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi has sentenced a fake LASTMA officer, David Oluchkwu to 4-month jail term.
He was jailed for impersonating and extorting money from motorists, particularly commercial bus drivers in Lagos.
The convicted fake LASTMA officer was arraigned by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority on a 2-count charge of “conduct likely to cause breach of peace” and “impersonation” before the court.
Operatives of LASTMA had last week Wednesday, December 14, 2022, nabbed Oluchkwu, 27 year-old around the Lekki area of Lagos while in the act.
According to the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, the Magistrate Adesanya Ademola sentenced Oluchkwu to a 4-month jail term without any option of fine after he pleaded ‘Guilty’ to the two- count charge levied against him.
Magistrate Adesanya stressed that the convict should serve the four months jail term without any option of fine due to the gravity of the offences committed.
The Prosecutor, Barrister Agbaje Oladotun, had maintained that both allegations levelled against the convict (Breach of Peace and Impersonation) contravened Section 168 (D) and Section 78 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State (2015) respectively.
In his reaction to the judgement, the General Manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, described the judgement as a welcome development, saying that it would serve as deterrent to others who are still extorting money from innocent members of public under false pretense.
According to Oreagba “Our surveillance and intelligence unit which has now been fully restructured would continue to hunt for other bad elements disturbing the peace of the society on the roads.”
The General Manager, however, urged motorists, particularly commercial bus operators, to adhere strictly to the dictates of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018.
