Viral Video: CSP Akerele Debunks Extortion Allegations, Says Lagos Taskforce will not be Bullied into Timidity
By Oki O. Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
The Chairman of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Taskforce), CSP Adetayo Akerele, has detailed a series of engagements with a media practitioner, who is allegedly assassinating his character, misrepresenting the enforcement role of Lagos Task Force, and undermining the agency’s credibility, National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP can report.
Speaking during a quarterly press briefing, CSP Akerele recalled how he met the man about two years ago at an invitation to the Lagos State House of Assembly on issues surrounding Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) enforcement at Odo Iya Alaro.
“I was invited to the Lagos House of Assembly on issues bordering BRT around Odo Iya Alaro. I noted that a lot of people confuse the role of Lagos Task Force set up by Lagos State laws with the task of other task forces. That’s where I met the Objectv media person,” he said.
Akerele explained that tensions escalated after the individual published allegations of extortion against the Taskforce without verification. “I saw a post where he alleged that Lagos Task Force extorted money… I got his number and called him and asked if he bothered to confirm from our end at least to balance his story before publishing and using his story to assassinate my character. He dropped the story after that call,” he stated.
However, the situation persisted. According to the Chairman, “he called again the next day that Lagos Task Force arrested someone in Iyana Ipaja for which I asked if it was his job to stop Lagos Task Force from arresting people who offend. I told him it was his job to draw our attention when Lagos Task Force erred.”
CSP Adetayo Akerele further recounted a viral video alleging misconduct by Taskforce officials. “He sent a video alleging that Lagos Task Force men hijacked a vehicle and drove it on one-way. I told him we will investigate the driver’s claim and revert. I sent the video to Alausa where all seized vehicles are kept and asked to know which team brought the vehicle there. I called the team leader to report to the office immediately and he noted that the driver drove one-way and got arrested,” he explained, showing his evidence that the driver attempted to evade arrest, damaged another vehicle, and incites a mob.
Despite this, he said, “the Objectv media went ahead to repost the initial post he already deleted. He went ahead to publish more stories to suit his own narrative.”
Expressing concern over what he described as pressure tactics, Akerele declared: “This man wants to bully security agencies into timidity. No single individual is bigger than the state and the interest of the person cannot be bigger than that of the state.”
He reaffirmed the Taskforce’s commitment to lawful enforcement and accountability
