Fake Lagos State Task Force Officer Arrested With Forged Vehicle Release Order
MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 40-year-old man, Sunday Otu, who parades and impersonates officials of Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Task Force), has been arrested with forged vehicle release order which he uses to release seized vehicles at Alausa, Ikeja.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, Otu, who resides at No. 51 Agboyi Road, Ketu, was arrested for defrauding unsuspecting members of the public with forged Task Force release orders.
The suspect, who is an indigene of Cross River State, was apprehended after he fraudulently obtained the sum of N60,000 from one Sunday Daniel (also known as Daniel Jackson), 35 years old, who resides at Tollgate Estate, Ogun State.
The victim, who was earlier accosted for driving against traffic, was promised by the impostor that he could secure the release of his vehicle through his “connections” at the cost of N90,000. Daniel made an initial transfer of N60,000 with an agreement to pay the balance upon the issuance of a release order.
Investigations revealed that Otu forged the Task Force release order himself and lured the victim to follow him to the Agency’s car park in Alausa, where he was eventually arrested.
Further interrogation exposed his involvement in a similar fraudulent case some weeks earlier, after which the Agency had been on his trail.
Upon his arrest, several incriminating items were recovered, including multiple forged release order booklets, a green pen, staples, staplers, and vehicle registration numbers.
Otu confessed that one accomplice, identified as Afiz (currently at large), was also involved in the fraudulent activities.
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, CSP Adetayo Akerele, warned members of the public against dealing with touts or middlemen who parade themselves as agents of the Task Force.
