A Nigeria Customs officer, Cyril, accused Lagos Task Force officials of damaging his car and extorting N200,000 after a traffic incident.
A Nigeria Customs officer, known as Cyril, has accused Lagos State Task Force officials of damaging his car during a traffic incident.
The altercation occurred as Cyril was returning home from work in the Apapa area of Lagos.
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He approached the Warehouse Road junction, which was closed by Lagos State Traffic Management Authority officials.
Seeking an alternative route, Cyril found himself confronted by two commercial buses, which collided with his vehicle. To his surprise, these buses were driven by Task Force officials, not regular drivers.
Cyril explained, “If they were in their branded van, I would have known and stopped as someone who respects the law.”
After the incident, officials collected his car keys and drove his vehicle to their office in Alausa, Ikeja. During this encounter, the Task Force officials also damaged another SUV.
Upon reaching their office, Cyril faced demands for a fine of N200,000 in cash.
He felt this was a deliberate act of extortion, stating, “I believe the act was deliberate because of the turn of events.”
Raheem Gbadeyanka, spokesperson for the Lagos Task Force, suggested that the officials may have been impersonated.
He affirmed that Task Force officers use operational vehicles and not commercial buses. Gbadeyanka urged Cyril to report the incident and suggested he should have sought repairs for his car instead of paying cash.
Local commercial drivers at the Toyota Bus Stop also reported similar experiences of harassment and extortion by Task Force officials.
They claimed that these officials carried tools to unlock commercial vehicles, targeting drivers who resisted handing over their keys.