Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, Monday, sentenced the fake LASTMA officer identified as Omotutu Bamidele to to 2- year jail for impersonating and extorting money from motorists in Lagos.
The convicted fake LASTMA officer was arraigned by the LASTMA on a 2-count charge of “Did impersonate as a public officer by representing as staff of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (S.78 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015)” and “Did obtain by fraudulent trick (Sec. 323 of the Criminal Law, Lagos State) before the court.”
This was contained in a statement released by the director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department (DPAED), Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, Tuesday that Magistrate Kehinde Ogundare sentenced Omotutu Bamidele to a 2-year jail term without any option of fine after he pleaded ‘Guilty’ to the 2- count charge levied against him.
The magistrate, Ogundare, stated that the convict should serve the jail term without any option of fine due to the gravity of the offences committed.
The court prosecutor, Olufemi Adekunle, stated that both offences levied against the convict contravened Criminal Law of Lagos state (2015).
Reacting to the judgment, the General Manager of the Lagos LASTMA, Mr Bolaji Oreagba, said the judgment was a welcome development as it would serve as deterrent to others who are still extorting money from innocent members of public under false pretence.
“Our Monitoring and Surveillance Unit which has now been fully restructured would continue to hunt for other bad elements disturbing the peace of the society,” he said.