Outrage as Isolo LCDA traffic taskforce inflict pains on motorists through illegal tax, extortion
A victim, Dotun Falua, and others familiar with the acts of extortion of vehicle owners by “taskforce” working for Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) are outraged over the situation.
While being driven in a friend’s car, Falua had stopped by the roadside to procure an item while the car engine was running.
The septuagenarian discovered the shop was closed and was about to continue his journey. But he was not so lucky as the said taskforce officials opened the car door and sat in, accusing the driver of causing traffic obstruction.
Falua said he “begged” one of the taskforce officials, who initially seemed forgiving but still led them to a location. “Little did we know it was a trap,” Falau said.
The report originally published by Punch said that the location turned out to be that of Point of Sale operator to whom Falau transferred N57, 000 before he was released. The victim said he transferred the money to a PalmPay account, with the name Olubunmi Mogaji.
“I have the receipt of the payment,” the 77 years old man said.
Two people quoted in the report testified to the recklessness of the said taskforce officials around Ajao Estate area and its environs. One of them, Kalid Gbenga, said the men work for the Isolo LCDA and are usually seen at its secretariat.
He said, “I know them very well. They are from the (Isolo) LGA. That place they call their office is not really their office. I am not sure because there was a time the state government came for a raid in 2020, and they ran away. ”
Another respondent, Chika, said the officials equally collect illegal taxes from hawkers and small business owners in the area.
The activities non-state actors in imposing illegal taxes particularly on small business are part of for why Lagos state–Nigeria’s commercial hub–ranks among states with unfriendly investment policies.
According to a recent Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) report on Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) among sub-nationals, Lagos state
According to the report, Lagos State dropped nine places from its 2021 ranking to sit in 29th position in 2023.
Reacting to the development, in a report by the Guardian, a former Vice President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), John Aluya, believed the illegal taxes scenario mirrors Lagos political and commercial climate.
He said, “Ease of doing business in Lagos State has not improved. In fact, it has gone from bad to worse, particularly with these urchins that are mounting roadblocks everywhere while the state government looks away.”
TheCornet gathered the arbitrariness of illegal traffic taskforce are replicated in virtually all LGAs and LCDAs in the state.
Based on the avalanche of complaints from vehicle owners about the mindless extortion by traffic taskforce, the Lagos state government in 2022 announced it was disbanding its Ministry of Transportation traffic taskforce and warned members of the public to report unauthorized enforcers.
Jubril Gawat, a special adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had said at the time that Traffic Management and Transportation is a cardinal point of the administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda. Despite, helpless vehicle owners are being continually harrassed and extorted by traffic taskforce, who are members of the ruling party and hangers-on of influential politicians in the state.
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