Juliana Francis
Residents and motorists using the Sheraton Link Bridge inward Opebi Road in Ikeja have pushed back against allegations linking operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Taskforce) Unit to reported harassment and extortion along the corridor, instead pointing fingers at police personnel operating in the area.
The clarification follows claims circulating online that Taskforce officials were stationed around the bridge and adjoining Toyin Street axis, allegedly targeting motorists making U-turns and extorting money from them.
However, independent checks by Accident Spy Media, including interviews with residents, transport operators and private motorists, revealed a different account, with many respondents absolving the Taskforce of involvement.
A shop owner, Kunle Adeyemi, who has operated along Opebi Road for over a decade, said he had not seen Taskforce officials carrying out routine enforcement on the stretch in recent times.
“Those stopping vehicles are usually policemen. They come in different groups—anti-crime patrol teams, special units, and officers from nearby divisions. They change often, but they are clearly not Taskforce,” he said.
Corroborating this, Funke Balogun, a caterer and resident of the Opebi axis, said police units largely carry out enforcement activities around the bridge.
“From what we observe daily, they are police officers, not Taskforce. They operate in patrol vans and focus on drivers making illegal turns or alleged traffic violations,” she explained.
Motorists who ply the route regularly also echoed similar views. Emeka Okafor, a commercial driver on the Ikeja–Maryland route, said he encounters police officers—not Taskforce officials—on the corridor.
“I pass through that link bridge at least twice daily. The officers are from the police—sometimes Area F, sometimes other patrol teams. I have never encountered Taskforce officials there,” he said.
Another commuter, Zainab Sadiq, who travels from Allen Avenue to Oregun, said while enforcement is common around the bridge, attributing it to the Taskforce is misleading.
“They often warn against U-turns, but their uniforms and vehicles clearly show they are police units. The Taskforce operates differently,” she noted.
Findings indicate that officers from divisional commands within Ikeja, including those with jurisdiction over Opebi, as well as anti-crime and special patrol teams from various area commands, are routinely deployed to the area for traffic monitoring and security duties.
The accounts align with an earlier rebuttal by the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Adetayo Akerele, who denied any involvement of the agency in the alleged extortion. He described the claims as misleading and urged the public to verify information before sharing.
Akerele maintained that Taskforce operations are structured, intelligence-driven and conducted in clearly identifiable formations, adding that the agency does not engage in indiscriminate roadside enforcement targeting motorists.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, noted that traffic enforcement in Lagos is carried out by multiple agencies with distinct mandates, stressing that the Taskforce’s role differs from routine police patrol operations.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to road safety and order, while warning against the spread of unverified claims capable of eroding public trust in state institutions.
Amid ongoing concerns about road safety and enforcement practices, residents called for better coordination among security agencies and clearer identification of personnel operating along major routes to prevent misidentification and protect motorists from unlawful conduct.
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