Lagos CBD dismisses two officers for extortion

Prince Anofiu Elegushi

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government, through the Office of the Special Adviser on Central Business Districts, CBD, has dismissed two CBD enforcement officers operating on Lagos Island over cases of extortion and illegal arrest.

Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on CBD, Prince Olarenwaju Elegushi said on Saturday that the dismissal of the two officers was part of disciplinary measures by the agency to instill discipline, re-orientate and awaken a renewed mindset of staff, monitoring officers as well as volunteer corps towards a better service delivery.

The Special Adviser, while reiterating the state government’s resolve to weed out bad eggs among staff of the agency disclosed that the two officers, Mr Babatunde Scale and Abioye Bakare were caught extorting money from a traffic offender illegally on the Island.

He maintained that his agency would not tolerate any illegality by its officers and would continually discipline any officers found wanting in the discharge of their duties.

“To instill discipline among our staff, the Agency has dismissed a number of enforcement officers, volunteer corps as well as sanitation corps whose actions undermined the objectives of the Agency and compromised the public image of government.

“Before now, four monitoring officers and some volunteers were dismissed for dereliction of duty. Today, two officers who were trying to extort money from a traffic offender illegally where caught and summarily dismissed,” he said.

While advising motorists, business operators as well as visitors to adhere to traffic, sanitation and security rules when within the business districts, the special adviser urged members of the public with complains on CBD enforcement operations as well as activities bothering on extortion, molestation or assault by CBD operatives to report such complains to his office.

He assured that such complains would be attended to with dispatch.