Lagos State Safety Commission Arrests Fake Consultants

The Lagos State Safety Commission (LSC) has arrested two men who were posing as consultants of the Commission and scamming people of their money.

The Director General of the Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, revealed that the two fake consultants, Mr. Jephtah Taiwo and Mr. Salako David, were caught on Thursday, January 11, 2024, and taken to Ikotun Police Station.

He said that the Commission was alerted on Friday, January 12, 2024, and sent Mr. Dimeji Aroyewun, a schedule officer, to give a statement regarding the safety documents that were found with the impostors.

The impostors had fake abatement notices, provisional safety compliance letters, and notification forms for construction works, which they claimed were issued by the LSC.

The IPO in charge of the case at Ikotun Police Station, later arraigned the two impostors at Ejigbo Magistrate Court on Monday, January 15, 2024, on three counts of impersonation, fraud, and theft.

The charges read as follows:

- That the two impostors presented and paraded themselves as staff or agents of the LSC and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 380 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015.

- That they did with intent to defraud and obtained the sum of fifty-two thousand naira (#52,000) from one Mr. Oganla Rilwan with the pretence of procuring a safety signage from the LSC, a representation known to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 313 and punishable under section 314 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015.

- That they did steal the sum of fifty-two thousand naira (#52,000) from Mr. Oganla Rilwan, a property owner, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 280 and punishable under section 287 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015.

The Magistrate, after hearing the charges against the impostors, asked them to plead guilty or not guilty, and they both pleaded not guilty.

The case was adjourned till February 26, 2024, for further hearing, and the impostors were remanded in prison custody.