RE: MISLEADING CLAIMS REGARDING EXTORTION OF MOTORISTS BY LAGOS STATE TASKFORCE – YET-TO-BE-IDENTIFIED SECURITY OPERATIVES: ANOTHER CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY. (PHOTO). #PRESS RELEASE.

 RE: MISLEADING CLAIMS REGARDING EXTORTION OF MOTORISTS BY LAGOS STATE TASKFORCE – YET-TO-BE-IDENTIFIED SECURITY OPERATIVES: ANOTHER CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY

The Lagos State Taskforce wishes to address a misleading narrative circulating on social media, particularly in a viral video shared by protesters and concerned groups who recently demonstrated at the Lagos State House of Assembly. The protest was in response to the alleged extortion of motorists by security operatives, yet to be identified, who are not officials of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit.

We categorically state that the Lagos State Taskforce had no involvement in the said incident. Our enforcement teams are led by seasoned, well-trained, and highly disciplined senior officers who are far too professional and educated to jeopardise their ranks, integrity, and years of service for personal gain.

For clarity, our agency does not operate on BRT corridors, nor were any of our personnel deployed to man those routes. Any attempt to link our agency to the alleged extortion is unfounded, misleading, and entirely false.

It is unfortunate that numerous enforcement groups in the State operate under the generic code name “Taskforce” in a bid to gain public acceptance and continue illicit enforcement activities. We reiterate, for the umpteenth time, that these individuals are not affiliated with the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit, popularly referred to as the Lagos State Taskforce.

We urge the public to remain vigilant and note that not all individuals wearing black tactical jackets on Lagos streets are officials of our agency. Genuine Taskforce personnel can be identified by their unique identification numbers. We also encourage anyone with credible complaints or evidence of misconduct involving our officials to come forward, so appropriate investigations and actions can be taken.

The Lagos State Taskforce enforces the law with professionalism, civility, and strict adherence to due process. All arrests by our agency are conducted humanely and concluded in court for proper adjudication.

We appeal to the public to refrain from spreading falsehoods and to always verify the identity of any enforcement officer who attempts to arrest them or impound their vehicles. Members of the public are also encouraged to request to take a photo with the team leader as a form of documentation and accountability.

We strongly warn those engaging in criminal impersonation to desist from tarnishing the hard-earned reputation of the Lagos State Taskforce. Anyone caught impersonating our officers will face the full weight of the law.

Finally, we urge media outlets to verify their information thoroughly and ensure accuracy in naming the specific agency or organisation involved before publication.

Gbadeyan Abdulraheem

Director, Public Affairs

Lagos State Taskforce