THE Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, Sola Giwa has condemned the extortion of a pensioner by men who claimed to be traffic officers of the Ikotun-Igando Local Council Development Area (LCDA), while affirming that the 'supposed' officials will be persecuted when an investigation is concluded.
According to media reports, a 74-year-old pensioner, identified as Mr Matthew Akinrefon, on Thursday, August 18, 2022, claimed that some men, who claimed to be traffic officers of the Ikotun-Igando Local Council Development Area (LCDA), extorted the sum of #12,000 from him over alleged traffic offence, despite the state government ban on the operations of any form of traffic task force officials.
Narrating his ordeal, the victim said he had already parted with #12,000 and was in the process of sourcing for the remaining #18,000 balance before a superior council officer intervened in the matter and left him off the hook.
Mr Akinrefon said: “I was coming from Iyana Ipaja going towards Ojo. When we got to Igando, my wife alighted to look for plantain. As I tried to move forward to look for where to pack my car, a man just opened the door and told me that I should move forward. The next thing he told me was ‘what do you have for us? I said I have nothing to give as a bribe but pray for him. He led me to Igando Health Centre. He handed me over to another man, who demanded #75,000 being half of what I am to pay. At the end, we came to an agreement to pay #30,000 without a receipt.
“I begged them that I’m an army pensioner and a septuagenarian but they fined me #30, 000 and insisted on me paying before they can let me go. But my entire plea to let me go fell on deaf ears; I had N12,000 on me which they collected and insisted on collecting the balance of N18,000.
“I was still looking for the balance, at Igando Health Centre where my vehicle was forcefully impounded, when a senior council officer, who preferred anonymity, intervened and prevailed on them before I was let off. After the intervention, they still did not return my N12,000.”
On his part, the Governor’s Aide, Mr Giwa has assured that the matter will be handled.
He said: “I can assure you that we will get to the root of this embarrassing, indiscipline act. Our monitoring team will be deployed to investigate the alleged extortion and fish out these yet-to-be identified council officers for prosecution. Enforcement of traffic management by council officials is illegal and remains so in the state.”
