PM NEWS
Some officials of the Transport Operations Compliance Unit (TOCU), an arm of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, have become monsters as they extort millions of naira from innocent Lagos motorists who fall into their traps.
The work of TOCU is simple, they are to place removal notices on abandoned vehicles found impeding traffic in some parts of the Lagos metropolis, but they are not doing that, they are apprehending vehicles that are not abandoned.
They even arrest vehicles with their drivers inside them and take them to a secret location where they are extorted and made to pay fines ranging from N30,000 and above. On a daily basis officials of the unscrupulous unit impound dozens of vehicles for extortion.
One Engr. Ade, a motorist who had an encounter with officials of the unit on 28 August, 2023 had a bitter story to tell. “On August 28, 2023, an unfortunate encounter unfolded involving LASG’s Transport Operations Compliance Unit (TOCU). While parked near a kiosk on Allen Avenue Road, I sought directions from a vendor. Suddenly, a towing vehicle arrived with four men. They seized my car, and we were taken to an undisclosed location.
“At the back seat, I learnt my offence was crossing a “yellow line.” Despite the circumstances, I refrained from arguing. After reaching a gas station at “Odo Iya Alaro,” area of Ojota, I realized it wasn’t an official government facility,” he explained.
Ade added that from his observations, six vehicles were present, with at least one arriving every 20 minutes, escorted into the open space yard, saying that patrol vehicles with Lagos State Government branding escorted vehicles, with each team having four to five members.
“An elderly Asian man faced a similar ordeal, making calls before paying, he had to be escorted out by one of the ladies to make withdrawals for cash payments. The operation seemed aimed at extorting money, tarnishing the State’s image.
“The legality of TOCU’s actions is questionable; possibly backed up by some State officials. My vehicle was released after contacting a senior official. They declined to give me the official receipt to go and make payments for the N30k demanded; they used a delay tactic to keep me waiting so I could buckle to their demands.
“This incident reflects broader exploitation by such individuals. The average monthly amount raked at that location is a minimum of N12 million (20 vehicles times N30K each for 5 days per week, times 4 weeks/month),” he narrated.
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