Lagos task force accused of harassment, extortion

Drivers at the Toyota Bus Stop in Ladipo Spare Parts Market have voiced complaints about purported harassment and extortion by certain officials of the Lagos State task force.

In an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, the frustrated drivers expressed their grievances, alleging that the task force officers were specifically targeting commercial vehicle drivers, subjecting them to unjust treatment and extortion during what they termed as “unauthorized and unlawful operations” in the area.

The drivers alleged that the task force officials possess a set of master keys, which they utilize to gain access to commercial vehicles, particularly when drivers refuse to surrender their keys. The officials then allegedly use these keys to unlock and drive away the vehicles, often without the owners’ consent or permission.

Recounting his experience on Wednesday, Emmanuel Okafor, one of the affected drivers, told our correspondent that eight commercial cars were seized on Tuesday for alleged illegal parking and obstruction offences when about 15 operatives stormed the market.

Okafor explained that the officials had booked six of the vehicles and demanded N30,000 be paid for each of the remaining two vehicles that were not yet in court to be released.

He said, “This will be my 10th year working in this area. In the one that happened yesterday (Tuesday), I parked my vehicle. Before I realised what was happening, a group of men showed up and started ordering people to give them their car keys.

“They were with several keys that they used to start people’s vehicles and then drove them away. They drove our vehicles to Alausa and wrote a few numbers on paper, telling us to call them.

“When we called them this morning (Wednesday), they asked us to come to Bolade-Oshodi Arena. When we got there, they told us that only two of the vehicles had not been booked and that we should pay N30,000 each to recover the two vehicles. They said our offence was illegal parking.

The Chairman of the Drivers’ Welfare Association, Ajao Estate, Frances Iheji, corroborated this, saying the task force’s operations in the area had created a toxic working environment for commercial drivers. He urged the state government to intervene and assist them.

“The incident that happened on Tuesday is rather shocking. They just came and started opening people’s vehicles. They said the vehicles were causing obstruction. There were private vehicles that were parked but only commercial vehicles were taken away. We don’t have a rest of mind.

“The harassment of drivers in this area is everywhere. If you pick up a passenger and get them to drop you off, these people will encircle you. And the majority of them don’t even come with official government vehicles. They only use all these yellow commercial vehicles to operate and harass people.”

Task force spokesperson, Raheem Gbadeyanka, responded to the drivers’ complaints by stating that the task force only impounds vehicles that violate traffic regulations, and encouraged the drivers who feel they have been unfairly targeted to appeal to a mobile court to retrieve their vehicles.

He said, “There is no parking in that area. That’s an obstruction. The most important thing was that their vehicles were taken because they had committed an offence. If they want to receive their vehicles, let them go to the mobile court. They will give them their vehicles.”

Addressing the allegations of extortion by its operatives, Gbadeyanka said, “If they (commercial drivers) can identify which of our men demanded money from them, we will investigate the matter further.”