LASTMA officials arrested for collecting bribes

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has arrested eight of its officials for collecting bribe from motorists and other corrupt practices.

The official attached to the Agege-Pen Cinema Office of the Agency, were arrested last week.

They are Adebeshin Adeola, Davies Idowu, Folashade Abolade, Shittu Lanre, Akinkotu Olusoga, Olowu Said, Olaoye Peter and Adebola Said.

Adeshina and Davies had earlier arrested two Lagos painted commercial buses with registration numbers FKJ 770 XT and KRD 558 XM driven by one Olatunji Mayowa and Donatus Eze respectively at Abule Egba area of the State for seat belt violation.

At the Agege Office, the officials in conjunction with the General Duty Officer demanded for the sum of N7,200 from each of the bus drivers before the release of the buses.

The drivers, having listened to various media programmes where official complaint numbers were given, alerted the Agency.

Afterward, marked currency were given to the complainants and unknowingly collected by the officials in a sting operation coordinated by the Provost Marshal of the Agency, Mr Femi Ajibosho.

Ajibosho arrived when Abolade was about collecting N7,200 from Donatus Eze, while the collected marked money of N7,200 of Olatunji Mayowa was found on her after search.

Similarly, members of the patrol team of the Agency comprising of Shittu Lanre, Akinkotu Olusoga, Olowu Said, Olaoye Peter and Adebola Said also arrested a vehicle for traffic laws violation and asked Abolade to facilitate collection of bribe on their behalf from the alleged offender before the release of the vehicle.

Speaking on the incidents at Oshodi Office of the Agency, LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olawale Musa said the Agency has set a standard for itself to become one of the most disciplined, credible and efficient traffic management institution in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

He said: “LASTMA under my watch will not tolerate any act of indiscipline and corruption capable of dragging the revered image of the Agency and that of the State Government to the mud.

“To this end, all the officials involved in the shameful act will be made to appear before the Personnel Management Board (Discipline) to defend their action in accordance with the relevant sections of the Public Service Rules.”