Lagos Task Force denies stopping driver over vehicle inscription

File: Lagos State Task Force

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit, popularly known as the Lagos State Task Force on Saturday denied stopping the driver of a Toyota Tacoma over an inscription on the vehicle or demanding a permit for the marking.

The denial followed a video posted on Facebook by Jay Scotch Automobile Ltd, in which the motorist recounted an encounter with officials who allegedly stopped him and demanded a permit for the “TRD 4×4 Sport Tacoma” inscription on his vehicle.

In the video, the motorist said the officials argued that the inscription amounted to an advertisement and demanded that he produce a permit.

“So, I was driving this Toyota Tacoma with this TRD inscription, TRD 4×4 Sport Tacoma and Lagos Task Force had to stop me and say I should provide, you know, if there is an inscription in your car, you have to provide a permit,” he said.

He alleged that the officials threatened to damage his side mirror if he failed to provide the permit.

“They were like, I should provide a permit for this one. I used mouth finish them and they were threatening to spoil my side mirror if I don’t provide permit to be using this one,” he said.

The motorist explained that the inscription was not added to the vehicle as an advertisement but came with the vehicle when it was purchased in the United States.

“Something that came in like this from the abroad or from USA where it was bought from,” he said.

Questioning the demand, he added, “So, I don’t know. Why are you asking me for a permit because of this TRD written on this Tacoma?”

However, the Director of Press and Public Affairs of the Lagos State Task Force, Raheem Gbadeyanka, in response to an inquiry about the incident on Saturday, said the agency was not responsible for it.

Gbadeyanka explained that residents often mistake officers from different government agencies for Task Force operatives, particularly when they see officers wearing camouflage uniforms.

“Unless you understand the ignorance of some people, if care is not taken, an individual too will be ignorant of their ignorance. Many of them don’t really understand or know the difference between one agency of government or the other; once they are accosted by any policeman dressed in camouflage uniform on the street, they ignorantly believe they are Task Force operatives,” he said.

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He also said the Task Force no longer enforces traffic-related offences following a directive from the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.

“Ever since the Commissioner of Police of Lagos discretionally stopped us from engaging in any traffic-related offences, the agency operatives had stopped effecting the arrest of traffic offenders,” he said.

Gbadeyanka further said requesting permits for vehicle inscriptions was outside the agency’s mandate.

“It is also not part of our mandates to request for permits for inscriptions on vehicles,” he said.

He added that Task Force operatives could not stop vehicles for traffic offences under the leadership of the agency’s chairman, CSP Adebayo Akerele.

“The agency operatives dare not stop any vehicle for traffic offences under the watchful eyes of disciplinarian CSP Adebayo Akerele, chairman, Lagos State Task Force,” he said.

The incident also touches on Lagos State’s regulation of branded vehicles. The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency has previously stated that its Mobile Advert Permit applies to branded vehicles operating in the state.

PUNCH reported in November 2024 that the permit is issued to owners or users of branded vehicles, including cars, buses, pick-ups and trucks, and is valid from January to December, subject to annual renewal.

LASAA’s current website also lists “Car, Truck & Bike branding” under its Mobile Branding Permit system.

In 2023, the agency said the mobile advert permit was introduced to regulate branded vehicles, with enforcement teams deployed across Lagos to ensure compliance.

However, the Task Force maintained that its operatives were not involved in the incident and that requesting a permit for an inscription on a vehicle was not within its mandate.