How “Lagos Officials, Policemen Remove Road Signs To Mislead & Extort Drivers,” Motorists Says

Earlier in the month, the Lagos State government auctioned 134 vehicles confiscated from drivers who broke various traffic rules.

Following the auction, the Lagos taskforce chairman admonished drivers and motorists to obey traffic rules. However, new reactions to the traffic rules have emerged. Many motorists blame taskforces agents and police officers in Lagos for the traffic issues they experience.

The reaction is that officials deliberately remove traffic signages and posts to lure unsuspecting drivers; others stated that traffic wardens hide from being seen to ambush motorists who enter the roads.

Various eyewitnesses have supported this reaction. On Olojojo Road, in the Iyana-Oworo area of Lagos State, residents lamented the removal of the one-way road sign attached to a pole at the Vitality Junction.

They accused the policemen stationed at the junction of removing the signage to lure and extort drivers.

Motorists heading for the area are expected to either keep to the left into Peluola Street or turn right into Onabanjo Street once they get to the junction.

However, due to the absence of signage, some drivers move straight ahead, which is a one-way axis, and as a result, get arrested.

According to a resident in this area, the community youths are tired of fixing the signage only for it to be removed.

The resident said, “the youth in the area have fixed the signage to the pole several times, but it does not last more than a month. We later discovered that the police officers were the ones removing it. They put it in their car and dispose of it. They have nothing to do at the junction except wait for vehicles to take the one-way route and arrest them. Extorting money from motorists at the spot has become their daily routine. They arrest not less than 10 to 20 cars daily.

Another resident in the area says, “their extortion was minimal when the traffic box was there, as they could not remove it then. But it has become easy for them to remove it from the pole now, and no one can question them. Most times, people signal vehicles that enter the road to turn into a filling station at the junction so they won’t be arrested. The attendants at the filling station also try to redirect some of the motorists into their station, and as a result, the police officers are not on good terms with them. They feel they are spoiling business for them.”

A tricycle rider notes that the officers use motorcycles to chase their victims. He added, ‘But since the government banned Okada, some of them wait in between or at the end of the one-way axis to stop and arrest vehicles. You also see them sitting at a beer parlour opposite the filling station where they use the money to drink.” 

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, denies knowledge of the activities of the policemen at the location.

He said, “I am unaware of their activities, and I have not received such complaints; absolutely nothing. I am hearing this for the first time. Please let me know if you have any evidence so we can locate these corrupt officers and deal with them.”

A legal practitioner who observed the extortion in the area said commuters must start pressing charges.

He added, “any commuter caught wrongly should demand evidence of the offence. They should press charges. If there is no sign, the law should be silent about committing a crime. They should let them know that they have rights. Laws do not work that way.”

Punch