Lagos Motorists Report Assaults by Touts and Police Task Force
Motorists in Lagos State are voicing significant complaints about the difficulties they encounter on the roads, attributing these issues to a rise in touts allegedly working in collaboration with the Lagos State Task Force. Numerous reports have emerged accusing the agency of partnering with touts to hijack vehicles, drive one-way, and then record videos to falsely accuse motorists of traffic violations.
Incidents of Violence and Extortion
In a video shared by Objective TV, a man was seen being violently manhandled by individuals identified as thugs associated with the task force. The victim, who was waylaid, initially believed he was being robbed when touts aggressively crossed him after he exited traffic. According to accounts, they ordered him out of his vehicle, demanded he surrender his keys, and when he resisted, police officers joined in the altercation.
In another disturbing incident, an elderly man was allegedly choked with teargas inside his car by these individuals. They reportedly took his number plate, car battery, and other personal items from the vehicle. During the struggle, the man's clothes were torn as he attempted to escape from the assailants.
Official Responses and Denials
Reacting to the accusations of extortion, the Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, Adetayo Akerele, claimed that there has been a wave of online attacks targeting him and the agency by motorists. He attributed this backlash to his refusal to grant special favours to certain social media operators. Akerele stated that he possesses screenshots of Facebook messages showing how these individuals allegedly requested preferential treatment and resorted to threats of blackmail and online smear campaigns when their demands were not met.
"It is both sad and embarrassing that individuals who should be using their social media platforms to disseminate meaningful and enlightening information to the public have instead turned them into tools for blackmail, intimidation and the spread of falsehoods and half-truths," he said. Akerele urged the public to treat information from such platforms with caution, emphasizing that their actions are misleading and questionable in intent. He reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the law without fear or favour, assuring that neither he nor the agency would be intimidated or distracted from their mandate of ensuring orderliness and safety on Lagos roads.
Government Rebuttal on Revenue Generation
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, rebuffed the allegation that the task force is working with touts. When questioned about claims that the government is using the agency for aggressive revenue generation, he responded, "I don't know about that. Lagos is creative enough to not wait for people to commit offences just to make money off them or use the task force to generate revenue; it doesn't make sense to conclude that; there is no logic in it."
This situation highlights ongoing tensions between Lagos motorists and enforcement agencies, with both sides presenting conflicting narratives about road safety and public order efforts in the state.
