CRIME
How dismissed Lagos Taskforce officers continue to terrorise motorists
How dismissed Lagos Taskforce officers continue to terrorise motorists
The arrest of a dismissed paramilitary operative, Yahaya Salami, alias Adams, at Oshodi Bus Stop on Saturday has again exposed how dismissed and fake law enforcement operatives exploit the name of the Lagos State Taskforce to extort motorists and traders.
Salami was apprehended after a viral video showed him being forcefully dragged by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, popularly known as Lagos Taskforce.
The development, which triggered reactions on social media, prompted the agency to clarify on Sunday that the man in the video was not a serving officer.
The Director, Public Affairs of the Taskforce, Mr Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, said Salami was dismissed several months ago over gross misconduct.
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Abdulraheem listed the offences to include theft, use of a fake identity card, extortion of motorists and traders and indiscipline.
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He said despite his dismissal, the suspect continued to parade himself as a serving operative.
“The Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Adetayo Akerele, wishes to clarify that the individual seen in the viral video is a former operative who no longer has any affiliation with the Lagos State Taskforce.
“His alleged continued impersonation of the agency’s personnel is a serious concern, as such conduct can mislead members of the public and undermine confidence in the legitimate activities of law enforcement officers,” the statement said.
How to identify real officers
According to a report in March 2025, the Taskforce had, while addressing a similar allegation of extortion, said its personnel maintain a distinct dress code to differentiate them from conventional police officers.
Abdulraheem had said, “Taskforce officials are dressed in black-on-denim uniforms with uniquely designed jackets bearing the inscription ‘Taskforce’ prominently on the front and back. These jackets also display identifiable serial numbers and the official insignia, a dragon with an eagle wing.”
He had added that none of the features was visible in the viral video that formed the basis of the allegation.
Not an isolated case
Findings show that Salami’s case is not isolated.
On April 1, 2019, the agency arrested two suspects, Ademola Oyegunwa, 40, and Olaogun Adamson, 48, for impersonating its officers and extorting a motorist at Ojota.
The then Chairman of the Taskforce, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, had said the suspects arrested a motorist for obstruction at Ojota and collected N15,000 from him at Bolade bus stop, opposite the Taskforce office.
Egbeyemi had said, “They arrested the owner of the vehicle for obstruction at Ojota, drove him down to Bolade bus-stop opposite Task Force office where they negotiated and collected the sum of N15,000 from him.”
He added that the two suspects claimed to be making between N50,000 and N70,000 daily from the illegal duty.
The Taskforce said Salami, who resisted an invitation for questioning before he was eventually arrested through tactical coordination with minimal force, would be charged to court on Monday.
Its Chairman, Akerele, warned dismissed personnel and unauthorised individuals against impersonating its officials, saying the agency would not tolerate any act capable of bringing it to disrepute.
He urged members of the public to verify the identities of individuals claiming to be Taskforce officials and to report suspicious activities through appropriate channels.
A commercial driver at Oshodi, who asked not to be named, told our correspondent that he had no choice but to give them whatever money they asked for because of their uniform.
“They will seize your bus and harass you each time you pass if you don’t pay, so we just pay to avoid issues,” he said.
However, while the Taskforce maintains that it has dismissed and will prosecute offenders, questions remain about what additional measures the agency is putting in place to prevent dismissed operatives from retaining its uniforms and identity cards, how it intends to strengthen its monitoring mechanism for sacked personnel, and how members of the public can easily distinguish genuine officers from impostors before falling victim to extortion on Lagos roads.
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