The Lagos State Task Force has announced it is investigating allegations of extortion made by a Nigeria Customs Service officer against some of its personnel.
This follows a report by The PUNCH on Wednesday in which the officer, identified only as Cyril, claimed he was extorted for N200,000 by task force officials at their headquarters in Bolade, Lagos.
Cyril pointed out that the incident occurred after task force members damaged his car while accosting him at Liverpool in the Apapa area.
He alleged that the officials demanded the sum at their office after forcing him to their premises.
The task force’s spokesperson, confirmed on Thursday that an investigation had begun, Raheem Gbadeyanka, urging the officer to cooperate with authorities in identifying the culprits.
“We are already looking into the matter to identify the officers. We also want the Customs officer to please come to our office to help in our investigation so that appropriate actions can be taken,” Gbadeyanka said.
Recounting the event, Cyril explained that he was driving towards Mile 2 when he reached the Warehouse Road junction, only to find the route closed by Lagos State Traffic Management Authority officials. As the situation escalated, he claimed that task force officers caused damage to his vehicle while colliding with an SUV nearby.
Upon being taken to their office, Cyril expressed shock when the officials demanded N200,000 as a fine.
“When I got to their office, they asked me to pay a fine and mentioned a sum of N200,000. I was surprised. While I agreed to pay and expected that the payment would be made into the government’s account, they asked me to pay in cash. That was when I realised that the act must have been deliberate,” he recounted.
Cyril suspected the entire setup was orchestrated, explaining that the road was completely blocked, leaving him no choice but to take the only available route where he was subsequently arrested and extorted.
“They arrested me on the only available route and extorted N200,000 which I believe could not even be traced by the government,” he lamented.
