Police arrest 15 suspected thugs extorting truck drivers in Lagos 

CITIZENS COMPASS – Indications emerged on Saturday, August 5, 2023, that some uniform men especially officials of the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) are among the syndicates extorting truck drivers in Lagos State. 

To curtail this, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa has set up an enforcement team with the mandate of raiding spots that have been identified as notorious for such nefarious activities. 

The clampdown by the CP followed reports of extortion of truck drivers and other motorists by thugs and some recalcitrant law enforcement officers. 

The enforcement team which commenced raids yesterday was led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) and comprises tactical teams and provost officers from the state headquarters. 

The team was in the Mile 2 area of the state, a hotbed for the brazen extortionists. 

During the operation, a total of 15 thugs were arrested in the act while three police officers, one FRSC and one LASTMA personnel were also arrested for being in cahoots with the touts. 

CP Owohunwa hereby warns that any law enforcement personnel, irrespective of agency, found complicit in these extortion racketeering would not be spared as they would be apprehended and dealt with in accordance with the law. 

Meanwhile, the CP has assured Lagosians, especially motorists that the newly set-up enforcement team would sustain the raids and definitely replicate them in other parts of the state where the same issues exist until total sanity is restored.

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