News
LAGOS TASK FORCE DISTANCES SELF FROM VIRAL VIDEO OVER VEHICLE INSCRIPTION
The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit, popularly known as the Lagos State Task Force, has denied involvement in an incident involvin...
By Patience
The agency said its operatives were not responsible for the encounter and maintained that requesting a permit for an inscription on a vehicle is not part of its mandate.
VIRAL VIDEO SPARKS CLAIM OVER VEHICLE INSCRIPTION
The controversy followed a video shared on Facebook by Jay Scotch Automobile Ltd, in which the motorist described an encounter with officials who he said stopped his Toyota Tacoma and demanded a permit for the words “TRD 4×4 Sport Tacoma” displayed on the vehicle.
In the video, the driver said the officials treated the inscription as an advertisement and asked him to produce a permit.
He also alleged that the officials threatened to damage the vehicle’s side mirror if he failed to provide the requested permit.
The motorist questioned why a permit would be required for the inscription, explaining that the markings were already on the vehicle when he purchased it in the United States and were not added by him for advertising purposes.
TASK FORCE DENIES INVOLVEMENT
Responding to the allegation, the Director of Press and Public Affairs of the Lagos State Task Force, Raheem Gbadeyanka, said the agency was not involved in the incident.
Gbadeyanka said members of the public sometimes mistake officers from different government agencies for Task Force personnel, particularly when they encounter officers wearing camouflage uniforms.
He explained that the presence of an officer in such clothing does not necessarily mean the individual belongs to the Lagos State Task Force.
AGENCY SAYS IT NO LONGER HANDLES TRAFFIC OFFENCES
The Task Force spokesperson also pointed to a directive that ended the agency’s involvement in traffic-related enforcement.
According to Gbadeyanka, the agency stopped carrying out traffic-related arrests after the Lagos State Commissioner of Police directed it to discontinue such activities.
He said Task Force operatives therefore no longer stop vehicles for traffic offences under the leadership of the agency’s chairman, CSP Adebayo Akerele.
The agency further stated that seeking permits for inscriptions placed on vehicles is outside its responsibilities.
VEHICLE BRANDING PERMITS REMAIN A SEPARATE ISSUE
The dispute comes against the backdrop of Lagos State regulations covering advertising and branding on vehicles.
The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency has a Mobile Advert Permit system covering branded vehicles operating within the state.
The permit applies to owners or users of branded vehicles, including cars, buses, pick-ups and trucks, with permits issued for a specified period and subject to renewal.
The agency's current system also includes car, truck and bike branding among the categories covered by its mobile branding permit arrangements.
However, the Lagos State Task Force maintained that its officers were not involved in the incident described in the viral video and that requesting a permit specifically for an inscription on a vehicle does not fall within its mandate.
The agency's clarification comes as motorists and residents are urged to properly identify government enforcement personnel before attributing roadside actions to a particular agency.