Officials working with with the Itire Ikate Local Council Development Area, Mushin, Lagos, have been accused of extorting N10,000 from a motorist, identified as Bakare Abdusalam.
According to the victim, who raised the alarm, he was extorted by the officers around the Cele area of Mushin on Tuesday.
Bakare disclosed that he was in the area to capture for his driver’s licence at the office of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Narrating his ordeal, the motorist said, “I was going for my capturing to get my driver’s licence. I was trying to locate the office because I was not familiar with the route. So I slowed down my vehicle. I tried to ask someone for the route to the office, and suddenly a man ran out from nowhere, drew out a rod and began hitting my vehicle. Before I knew what was going on, another man jumped inside my car after forcefully opening the door, and later, the three of them asked me to drive to the office.
“That was the office I was actually going. When we got to the office. I asked them for my offence but they said I must pay a fine. I asked them who they were, they refused to hear me out. I called my father, who is also a local government worker, to come around, but when he came, they still didn’t listen to him.”
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Bakare said the officials, who insisted on N55,000 bribe, however, took N10,000 after some arguments but rejected transfer and refused to issue a receipt for the payment.
In addition, the motorist disclosed that he managed to take a video recording of the scene while a lady in the office whom he gave her name simply as Amanda, was taking the money.
In the video, a fair-skinned lady sitting at a table was seen taking cash from Bakare’s father. She was seen counting the money after receiving it.
Also at the scene were two other persons wearing a purple uniform with the inscription ‘MLG Traffic and Environmental Enforcement Unit’ written on the back.
Contacted, the head of the LCDA Area Office, Akeem Adeyemi, said he had been able to identify the suspected persons and he promised that the victim would be refunded.
Adeyemi who spoke in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Thursday, after investigating, said, “I know those involved. I have instructed a refund for the victim.”
Adeyemi noted that the suspected persons were not official workers of the LCDA adding that they were mostly political appointees.