The Lagos State Task Force has come under fresh scrutiny following an allegation circulating on social media that the agency operates an unofficial stamp scheme protecting commercial bus drivers from arrest in exchange for regular payments.
A Facebook user, Sherrifdeen Ojon Omo Eko, on Monday alleged that the task force issues a special stamp to commercial bus drivers in Lagos who then make weekly or monthly payments to officials.
According to him, any bus displaying the stamp is exempt from arrest during enforcement operations, “The Lagos State Taskforce issues this stamp to commercial bus drivers in Lagos, who then make weekly or monthly payments to task force and any bus or mini bus with this stamp is free from arrest,” he wrote.
He further alleged that “buses with the stamp are protected from arrest” and claimed that when raids are conducted, “buses with the stamp will be called to leave,” while those displaying the mark are exempted from enforcement actions.
Sherrifdeen claimed that the stamp is issued at a cost of “₦100,000 or more,” with drivers making additional weekly or monthly payments to maintain protection. He accused the Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, CSP Adetayo Akerele, and unnamed officials of misconduct.
In a separate post, he described Akerele as “the worse Lagos State Taskforce chairman in the history of Lagos with several atrocities,” alleging that the state government was “pretending as if he is not aware of his atrocities,” and warning that the ruling party could face political consequences in 2027 if the situation persists.
The allegations surfaced just days after the Lagos State Task Force announced the arrest of a woman, Alimat Idowu, popularly known as Asabi Alagbo, for the alleged production and sale of illegal stickers to commercial and unpainted vehicle drivers, commonly referred to as “kabukabu.”
According to the agency, Idowu was arrested alongside three other suspects identified simply as Ola, Sanjay, and Aliu. They said other members of the syndicate remain at large.
The task force stated that the suspects specialised in issuing various branded stickers falsely presented as legitimate authorisations that could shield motorists from arrest during routine enforcement operations.
Illegal stickers recovered from the suspects reportedly bore inscriptions such as “Fire (Ina),” “Olamoney,” “Sanjay Omo Oga,” “Dman,” “100% 23–24,” and “Psalm 72,” among others.
Investigations by the agency revealed that the racket allegedly involved collecting illegal weekly or monthly fees ranging between ₦15,000 and ₦20,000 per vehicle in exchange for what was described as continuous “protection” from arrest for traffic violations.
Further findings indicated that some of the stickers carried names and logos of transport unions, unauthorised local government area tags, unregistered transport association emblems, and fake enforcement or compliance insignia produced by private individuals and tout syndicates.
The agency stated that the stickers had no legal backing and were used to mislead drivers into believing they were immune from arrest.
According to the task force, in some instances, when a commercial bus displaying the stickers was impounded, the driver would contact an accomplice who would pose as the vehicle owner or a superior figure to persuade enforcement officers to release the vehicle.
Operatives of the task force reportedly posed as commercial drivers to infiltrate the syndicate and purchase the illegal stickers, leading to the arrests.
Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, CSP Adetayo Akerele, disclosed that the arrests were carried out in areas including Oshodi, Isolo, Mushin, Apapa, Mile 2, Apapa Expressway, Iyana-Ipaja, Abule-Egba, Ile-Epo, and other parts of the state.
He said the operation underscored the agency’s determination to dismantle criminal networks operating on Lagos roads. Akerele warned that any commercial vehicle found displaying illegal or unauthorised stickers would be impounded, and the driver required to explain their source.
However, efforts to reach the chairman for comments regarding Sherrifdeen’s specific allegations about an official stamp scheme were unsuccessful as of the time of filling this report.