‘Extortionists on Lagos link bridge not Task force members’
The Chairman, Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Taskforce), Chief Superintendent of Police Adetayo Akerele, has denied the involvement of the agency in the alleged harassment and extortion of motorists
The Chairman, Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Taskforce), Chief Superintendent of Police Adetayo Akerele, has denied the involvement of the agency in the alleged harassment and extortion of motorists plying the Sheraton Link Bridge inward Opebi Road in Ikeja. He described the claims as misleading and urged the public to verify information before dissemination.
In a statement, Akerele emphasised that Task force operations are structured, intelligence-driven, and conducted in clearly identifiable formations, adding that the agency does not engage in indiscriminate roadside enforcement targeting motorists.
There were online reports suggesting that Task Force officials stationed around the bridge and adjoining Toyin Street axis, were allegedly targeting motorists who make U-turns for possible arrest and extortion.
But, Akerele said some residents and motorists affirmed that the culprits were not from the Task Force but operatives of other sister agencies.
Read Also: Xenophobia: Tinubu orders tight monitoring as anti-foreigner protests loom in South Africa
A shop owner, Mr. Kunle Adeyemi, said he had “never seen Task force officers mounting routine checks on that stretch in recent months.”
“Those you see stopping vehicles are usually policemen. Sometimes they come in different groups of anti-crime patrol, special teams, and officers from nearby divisions. They change often, but they are clearly not Taskforce,” Adeyemi explained.
Also, Mrs. Funke Balogun, a caterer and resident of the Opebi axis, corroborated this claim, noting that enforcement activities around the bridge are mostly carried out by police units from different area commands.
“From what we observe daily, they are police officers, not Task force. They operate in patrol vans, and their focus is usually on drivers making illegal turns or alleged traffic violations,” she said.
Motorists who frequently use the route also lent their voices to the clarification. Mr. Emeka Okafor, a commercial driver who plies the Ikeja, Maryland route, recounted his experience.
“I drive through that link bridge at least twice daily. The officers who stop us are from the police, sometimes from Area F, sometimes from other special patrol teams. I have never encountered Task force officials there,” he stated.
Another motorist, Miss Zainab Sadiq, said while she had witnessed enforcement actions around the bridge, “it is inaccurate to attribute them to the Task force.”
“They (officers) often warn against making U-turns at certain points, but the uniforms and vehicles clearly show they are police units. The Taskforce has a distinct mode of operation which is not what we see there,” she noted.
