Two of the Special Traffic Mayors (STMs) of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have been detained for impersonating another person and unjustly detaining a logistics motorcyclist.

In a statement to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos, Bolaji Oreagba, the General Manager of LASTMA, confirmed the incident. 

Mr. Oreagba said that two Special Traffic Mayors, Ibrahim Abu and Olamide Oshin, were arrested on August 17 by a patrol team from LASTMA's headquarters. 

He made it clear that the patrol team had stopped them at the Sheraton Hotel bus stop on Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way because they were doing something wrong. 

Mr. Oreagba says that there have been times in the past when dishonest people have pretended to be LASTMA employees. 

He said that the organization had said it would handle these situations in line with state law. 

According to investigations, Ibrahim Jubril Abu, a real LASTMA STM, printed a phony identity card for Olamide Oshin in order to continue fraudulent acts, and received another mayor's luminous jacket number. 

The two offenders, who were turned over to the police in Area F, are currently chilling in jail. It's important to remember that the decision to create LASTMA STM was made to make it easier for authorized traffic personnel to help manage traffic on their own time. 

But he also said, "The STMs' operating rules don't let them catch people who break traffic laws." 

The general manager of LASTMA also said that the group had recently found a fake online publication that, in exchange for money, offered membership and training as a "special traffic mayor." 

He claimed that the organization quickly issued a press statement disproving the publication. Mr. Oreagba also promised that the offenders would be prosecuted as a deterrent to others with similar intentions. 

He urged the populace to always report suspicious activity rather than criticize law enforcement officers performing their official duty. 

He was sad that some motorcycle riders in the logistics business were already at the scene of the accident, planning to attack LASTMA officials. 

Mr. Oreagba continued by saying that the agency supported voluntary compliance as a way to improve and sustain law and order on Lagos roadways. (NAN)