Lagos Task Force detains dismissed operative over alleged extortion
The chairman of task force, CSP Adetayo Akerele, disclosed this in a statement signed by the agency’s spokesperson, Mr Abdulraheem Gbadeyan on Sunday in Lagos. The post Lagos Task Force detains dismissed operative over…
The Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) is the agency charged with enforcing the state's environmental and traffic laws, including clamping down on illegal roadside trading, traffic obstruction and touting. Its personnel, often seen at motor parks and major junctions, have long faced public accusations of extorting commercial drivers, traders and motorists — complaints that have persisted despite repeated promises of internal discipline by the agency's leadership.
This latest case stands out because the suspect, identified as Yahaya Salami, had already been dismissed from the task force before allegedly continuing to pose as a serving operative to extort members of the public in Oshodi. Vanguard's account, attributed to the task force's chairman, CSP Adetayo Akerele, and its spokesperson, frames the arrest as evidence the agency monitors and acts against impersonators, while Punch's headline foregrounds the impersonation charge alongside extortion. Neither report yet details the specific amount allegedly extorted, how the suspect was apprehended, or what legal action, if any, will follow.