The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) has apprehended three men impersonating its officers while extorting money from unsuspecting motorists.
Chairman, CSP Adetayo Akerele, confirmed the arrests in a statement signed by the agency’s spokesperson, Mr Abdulraheem Gbadeyan, on Sunday in Lagos.
Akerele said the suspects, aged 39, 42 and 58, were caught on Tuesday at Ojodu Berger while attempting to detain a motorist.
“Their arrest followed a swift intervention after the motorist contacted a Taskforce officer, who confirmed they were impostors before their detention,” he said.
The Taskforce boss noted the agency had been monitoring the suspects due to numerous complaints about a fake team extorting drivers.
“I receive calls and online complaints from people whose vehicles were threatened unless they paid. That is not how we operate.
“Not everyone dressed in a black tactical jacket is from the Taskforce. Some are impostors, like these three,” he added.
He said the suspects targeted mainly private vehicles, particularly those carrying goods loaded improperly.
“The suspects arrest them and threaten to impound their vehicles until paid. They impound about seven vehicles daily, often citing traffic or loading offences,” he said.
Akerele assured the public that the suspects would face prosecution and warned others against impersonating government officials.
“This should deter anyone tarnishing the agency’s image through illegal arrests and vehicle seizures,” he said.
He urged members of the public to continue reporting suspicious activities through official feedback channels.
“There is no room for criminality in Lagos State,” Akerele said.
In a related development, PUNCH Online had reported that the Lagos State Environmental Taskforce had arrested 56 suspects during an overnight clean-up enforcement operation in the state’s Mainland area.
According to the disclosure, the operation was carried out “in continuation of the agency’s clean-up enforcement operation to rid the State of criminal elements,” with the task force setting out “at about 0020hrs on 10th January, 2026.”
NAN
