Residents and vehicle owners within the commercial centre of Lagos State have decried the fraudulent practices and extortion by some Local Government officials, operating as `Taskforce’ in the state.
According to them, the state government in an effort to generate more revenue to increase its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has become a thorn in the flesh of residents and car owners.
Their activities have turned the residents and vehicle owners into “Guinea fowl’’ by the Local Government officials, who now extort money from them with the excuse of ridding the state of traffic jams.
The residents and vehicle owners are now crying out over their financial haemorrhage going on unchecked by these taskforce officials.
Also, traders and shop owners are not left out in this fraud as their wares are carted away on a daily basis if their wares are displayed in front of their shops.
For the victims of the taskforce menace to get back their vehicles or wares, they are made to part with thousands of Naira before their goods are released.
Investigations by 108scoop.com at the Oshodi/Isolo Local Government revealed that the council officials who have turned themselves into extortionists make vehicle owners plying the area to cough out a huge amount to get their impounded vehicles from these taskmasters patrolling the area.
My Shola Egbayinlo, a victim of this heinous crime told 108scoop.com how he was made to pay N15, 000.
Egbayinlo said that he had stopped to ask for his direction to the Ago Palace way from passersby but was immediately accosted by the local government officials who parade or patrol the area with towing vans.
According to him, his car engine was still on as he was on the wheels.
“All attempts to explain that I am a stranger to the area and needed to ask for the direction to Ago Palace way was rebuffed by these officials,’’ the victim said.
Egbayinlo alleged that the taskforce officials claimed that they were on an assignment given to them by the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu, to ease the traffic congestion in the area, even though there was no traffic build-up.
“Before I could say `Jack Robinson’, they jumped inside my car and started to direct me to their office.
“On getting to their office, I was asked to pay the sum of N70,000 for unauthorised parking. All entreaties failed.
“The amount was reduced to N35,000 and at this point, I made them see the balance in my bank account, which is a clear confirmation that I cannot afford the amount,’’ he said.
Egbayinlo noted that to his surprise, the council taskforce officials called a standby woman operating Point of Sale (POS) to enable me to withdraw the balance in my account and hand it over to them.
According to him, the taskforce personnel asked him to go and get the difference and that the amount had been reduced to N25,000. 00.
Egbayinlo added that he made calls for help otherwise his vehicle would have been taken to Alausa if he failed to pay the amount.
The victim explained that he was later asked to remove his personal belongings in the car and prepare to cough out N70,000.00 or the car would be towed to Alausa.
“At the end of the day, I offered them N15,000.00 and my car was released. I was issued a receipt for N500.00 and not for the amount I paid,” he said.
108scoop.com also observed that the Federal Road Safety and LASTMA officials in their uniforms were rendered redundant and almost helpless as their role seemed to have been taken over by these merchants called taskforce.
