One David Oluchkwu has been sentenced to four-month jail term for impersonating officer of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA and extorting money from unsuspecting motorists, particularly commercial bus drivers in the state.
He was convicted and sentenced by the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Mobile) Court, sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, Lagos.
Operatives of LASTMA had on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, nabbed Oluchkwu, 27 year-old around the Lekki area of Lagos while in the act.
The suspect was subsequently arraigned by LASTMA on a two-count charge of “Conduct likely to cause breach of peace and Impersonation” before the court where he was convicted.
According to the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, the Magistrate Adesanya Ademola sentenced Oluchkwu to a 4-month jail term without any option of fine after he pleaded ‘Guilty’ to the two- count charge levied against him.
Magistrate Adesanya stressed that the convict should serve the four months jail term without any option of fine due to the gravity of the offences committed.
The Prosecutor, Barrister Agbaje Oladotun, had maintained that both allegations levelled against the convict (Breach of Peace and Impersonation) contravened Section 168 (D) and Section 78 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State (2015) respectively.
In his reaction to the judgement, the General Manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, described the judgement as a welcome development, saying that it would serve as deterrent to others who are still extorting money from innocent members of public under false pretense.
According to Oreagba “Our surveillance and intelligence unit which has now been fully restructured would continue to hunt for other bad elements disturbing the peace of the society on the roads.”