By Adeyemi Sulaimon
The Lagos State Task Force will on Monday commence a total clampdown on illegal activities of Local Government Traffic Officials on all roads across the State.
This exercise became neccessary as illegal activities of these notorious traffic officials have been worrisome, with cases of motorists extortion flooding the office of the Chairman, Lagos State Task Force, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi.
The clampdown, according to a statement signed by Head, Public Affairs Unit
Lagos State Task Force, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, was on the directive of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Edgal Imohimi.
Taofiq quoted Egbeyemi as saying that the Commissioner of Police, was not comfortable with the rate of extortion of motorists by these notorious traffic officials who claimed to be enforcing the Lagos State Road Traffic Law of 2012.
“Indeed there are traffic unit in all the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas. However, traffic management is not a responsibility for the third tier of government. We have reported instances of illegal arrest, extortions and general impunity on the part of the Local Government operatives.”
SP Egbeyemi quoted the Commissioner of police as saying that “only Nigerian Police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Taskforce and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) can perform traffic duties.”
He reiterated that the ban of all Local Governments traffic officials from controlling or engaging in traffic duties by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode still stands.
SP Egbeyemi stressed that motorists complain about illegal activities of these traffic officials with mufti collecting illegal fees with fake Local Government tickets.
He , however, urged motorists to always adhere strictly to traffic regulations and report to the nearest Police Station any illegal activities of these notorious traffic officials, adding that there had never been a time government considered ceding its traffic management responsibilities to any tier of government.
The Task Force boss also urged Chairmen of Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas to maintain zero tolerance for illegal traffic duties around their respective councils as any traffic official caught by the Agency would be seriously death with in accordance with the law.
