Crime
LASG suspends abandoned vehicle removal committee over extortion, harassment
...threatens arrest against any member found operating
The Lagos State Government said it had placed indefinite suspension on the entire ad hoc teams of the committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicles (RAVC) operating in the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Governments Development Areas in Lagos state with immediate effect over complaints of extortion and harassment of members of the public.
In a statement signed by the by the Honourable Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, the directive was given by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The Commissioner stated that the incident of extortion and harassment of the public has caused the state a lot of embarrassment despite several reviews of the operational guidelines.
The state however warned against indiscriminate abandonment of vehicles on the roads by the public saying negligence will not be condoned as an excuse for violation of the Traffic Laws of the State.
Part of the text stated that “The suspension was contained in a directive issued to the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, as a result of several complaints of extortion and harassment of members of the public by RAVC.
“The development has caused embarrassment to the State Government despite several reviews conducted on the operational guidelines of the team.
“The directive warned that any ad-hoc team found operating after this notice will be handed over to the Law Enforcement Agencies for trial and prosecution in accordance with the Law of the State as captured in the Traffic Sector Reform Law (TSRL) 2018.
“The order should be noted by the general public, while owners of abandoned vehicles posing environmental nuisance as well as security and traffic impediments must remove them from the roads. Negligence will not be condoned as an excuse for violation of the Traffic Laws of the State.
“Recall that the Removal of Abandoned Vehicles Committee’s (RAVC) earlier suspension was lifted on 30th December, 2021 in view of several appraisals and reviews of the operational guidelines by the state government,” it concluded.
