Following the clampdown on motorists who drive against traffic in Lagos State, some drivers have accused the police and some government workers of taking advantage of the situation to extort money from them.
The Lagos State Government recently auctioned 134 vehicles confiscated for driving against traffic.
The exercise was greeted with mixed reactions, as some motorists and commuters shared experiences of driving on unmarked roads.
While some claimed that the officials deliberately removed traffic signage to mislead unsuspecting drivers, others stated that traffic wardens hid from being seen to ambush motorists who entered the roads.
PUNCH Metro validated some of the claims during visits to some areas identified by residents.
On Olojojo Road, in the Iyana-Oworo area of Lagos State, residents lamented the removal of the one-way road sign attached to a pole at the Vitality Junction.
They accused the policemen stationed at the junction of removing the signage to aid extortion.
Motorists heading for the area are expected to either keep to the left into Peluola Street or turn right into Onabanjo Street once they get to the junction.
However, due to the absence of signage, some drivers move straight ahead, which is a one-way axis, and as a result, get arrested.
Our correspondent, who visited the community on Friday, learned that many motorists had been arrested and extorted by the policemen at the junction despite the absence of a road sign.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, denied knowledge of the activities of the policemen at the location.
He said, “I am not aware of their activities and I have not received such complaints; absolutely nothing. I am hearing this for the first time. If you have any evidence, please let me know so that we can locate these corrupt officers and deal with them.”
A legal practitioner, Yemi Omodele, who confirmed the extortion in the area, said commuters must start pressing charges.
He said, “Any commuter caught wrongly should demand evidence of the offense. They should press charges. If there is no sign there, then the law should be silent about committing a crime. They should let them know that they have rights. Laws do not work that way.
“I have been a victim there. They have a hideout; they took me there. When they discovered that I was a lawyer, they allowed me to go. They removed the signage deliberately. There cannot be sin where there is no law, and there cannot be crime where there is no law. They always hide in one of those shops there. The authorities cannot claim ignorance of the illegalities of these officers. The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation and Commissioner of Police are aware and they should call the errant officers to order.”
The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, said the removal of road signs was illegal, adding that the perpetrators would be made to face the law.
“Signs are put there for good motoring and the safety of motorists. So, anyone who does that kind of thing is an enemy of society. And anyone caught doing that should face the law,” he added.
