51 gang members claiming to work for President Tinubu’s enforcer arrested in Lagos

Not less than 51 members of the defunct Lagos State Parks and Garages Agency, were arrested by the Lagos State Taskforce over alleged extortion and harassment of truck drivers on Tuesday, DDM has been told.

The suspect were picked up along Apapa/ Oshodi and Lagos/Badagry Expressway in sting operation by the task force.

This set of individuals have been identified for their brazen tactics, coercing truck drivers to part with money under the pretext of working for the moribund agency.

The Parks and Garages Agency was formed by Musiliu Akinsanya, aka, MC Oluomo, notorious Lagos based political enforcer and ally of President Bola Tinubu, at the height of his feud with National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, the umbrella body of the transporters in the country.

Lagos state government in September last year dissolved the parks and garage agencies, subsuming their operations under NURTW.

Akinsanya’s boys appear not to have seen the memo.

In the last few months, there has been whittling of Olumo’s influence and sway in Lagos.

According to the Lagos task force, the suspect were found operating with impunity, subjecting many drivers to physical harm and acts of bestiality when they resist extortion attempts.

“We have been on the trail of this gang for a while after receiving several complaints from road users who ply this corridor.

We even heard of Instances of drivers who refused to comply and later faced violent threats, including the removal of essential truck components such as batteries and mirrors right on the expressway”. CSP Shola Jejeloye, chairman of the task force stated.

The Chairman expressed disgust at the manner in which these set of miscreants wreak unnecessary havoc on the Highways in the name of Parks and Garages despite the official pronouncement on the ban on the activities of the Agency late last year.

“The guts to perform these acts are quite baffling.

“They threaten their victims at day time and night with no regard for existing law and order in the State. Unfortunately we have come to put an end to this jungle justice and they will no longer be allowed to operate anywhere in the State.”

One of the victims, Victor Aiyegbosi, a truck driver with one of the transport companies who was at their mercy recently described them as inhumane in their dealings. He disclosed that they damage their trucks by ripping off cables and shattering the windows and mirrors just to have their way.

“The Taskforce assisting us here is the best thing that has happened to us this year so far” he stated.

Jejeloye revealed that the 51 apprehended suspects have been charged to court where 8 out of them pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 7 months imprisonment with an option of 65,000 Naira fine.

The remaining 43 pleaded not guilty and their hearing adjourned till the 1st of March 2024.

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