Taskforce officials not involved in Opebi Link Bridge extortions — Report
Ebun Emmanuel –April 30,2026
Residents and regular motorists plying the Sheraton Link Bridge inward Opebi Road in Ikeja have said the cops harassing them are not men of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Taskforce) Unit.
They added that the online claims suggesting such are false.
Recall that the claims stated that Taskforce officials were stationed around the bridge and adjoining Toyin Street and environs, and were allegedly targeting motorists who make U-turns, forcing them to part with money.
However, independent interviews with residents, transport operators and private motorists revealed a different narrative.
It was gathered that the places mentioned were being manned by men from some other formations.
A shop owner in the area, Mr. Kunle Adeyemi, who has operated along Opebi Road for over a decade, said he had “never seen Taskforce officers mounting routine checks on that stretch in months.”
He added, “Those you see stopping vehicles are usually policemen. Sometimes they come in different groups of anti-crime patrol, special teams, and officers from nearby divisions. They change often, but they are clearly not Taskforce.”
Similarly, Mrs. Funke Balogun, a caterer and resident of the Opebi area, corroborated this claim, noting that enforcement activities around the bridge are mostly carried out by police units from different area commands.
“From what we observe daily, they are police officers, not policemen attached to Taskforce. They operate in patrol vans, and their focus is usually on drivers making illegal turns or traffic violations,” she said.
Motorists who frequently use the route also lent their voices to the clarification.
Mr. Emeka Okafor, a commercial driver who plies the Ikeja and Maryland routes, said, “I drive through that link bridge at least twice daily. The officers who stop us are sometimes from Area F, sometimes from other special patrol teams. I have never encountered Taskforce officials there,” he stated.
Another motorist, Miss Zainab Sadiq, who commutes from Allen Avenue to Oregun for work, said while she had witnessed enforcement actions around the bridge, “it is inaccurate to attribute them to the Taskforce.”
She added, “They (officers) often warn against making U-turns at certain points, but the uniforms and vehicles clearly show they are police units from other places. The Taskforce has a distinct mode of operation which is not what we see there.”
Findings further indicate that officers from divisional commands within Ikeja, including the division with jurisdiction over Opebi, as well as personnel attached to anti-crime and special patrol teams from different police area commands, are routinely deployed to the area for traffic monitoring and security operations.
The accounts align with the earlier rebuttal issued by the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Adetayo Akerele, who categorically denied any involvement of the agency in the alleged activities.
He described the claims as misleading and urged the public to verify information before dissemination.
Akerele had emphasised that Taskforce operations are structured, intelligence-driven, and conducted in clearly identifiable formations, adding that the agency does not engage in indiscriminate roadside enforcement targeting motorists.
Meanwhile, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, clarified that traffic enforcement responsibilities are shared among designated agencies, while the Taskforce operates within a defined mandate distinct from routine police patrol duties.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to ensuring order and safety on Lagos roads while cautioning against the spread of unverified claims capable of undermining public trust in state institutions.
However, many of the residents called for effective road safety, improved coordination among security agencies and clearer identification of personnel operating along major corridors to prevent mis-attribution and to protect road users.
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