Motorists have lamented the return of some policemen who specialise in extorting motorists around the traffic light in the Isheri-Berger area of Lagos State.
The policemen said to be attached to the Isheri Police Station were said to have been carrying out their activities in the last three months.
After receiving a series of complaints from motorists who had fallen victim to the law enforcement agents, PUNCH Metro had on June 28, 2022, investigated their activities.
Our correspondent noticed that the policemen targeted motorists seeking to connect from the Berger-Isheri Road to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, using the old traffic light.
The publication that followed the investigation led to the removal of the policemen from the community by the immediate past state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi.
However, the policemen have since returned to the spot to continue extorting motorists whom they usually accused of beating the traffic light.
A motorist, Sunday Oroleke, who fell victim to their antics recently said the leader of the group collected N 25,000 from him before releasing him.
He said, “On Friday, September 29, 2023, around 11am, I approached the traffic light from Berger to link the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The light flashed green and I drove towards the expressway only to be stopped by a policeman who claimed I violated the traffic light. I insisted I did not beat the traffic light and he asked for my driver’s licence, held on to it and came inside my car.
“Another man who was in a mufti, dark and on the fat side came and he introduced himself as a task force officer. The policeman advised that I cooperate with him. He came into the car and showed me a picture showing my car’s plate number which was captured by a purported camera at the traffic light.
“He asked that I drive towards Alausa, that they were going to impound my car and I would not be able to secure its release until next week. He claimed they had impounded about 17 vehicles. On the way, he said he was willing to help and asked how much I was willing to pay out of the penalty of N120,000. I begged him to collect N20, 000 but he refused.
“Meanwhile, I was going to Osogbo and was already running late. Eventually, we settled for N25,000 and he took me to a PoS operator at Jobi Fele Way where the amount was withdrawn from my account before I was allowed to go.”
Oroleke said he attempted to verify their claim at the state vehicle inspection office where he was told that it was a scam.
A resident in the area who craved anonymity said the officers returned to the area about three months ago.
“People have gone to the police station to report them but nothing was done. They went back to the place because the former police commissioner that sanctioned them had left,” he said.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, could not be reached as calls made to his telephone were not answered.
A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
