Safety commission disowns woman in extortion video

The Lagos State Safety Commission has disowned a woman captured in a viral video allegedly extorting money from residents while claiming to be an employee of the agency.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Okoh Adewunmi, the commission said the woman, identified only as Mariam, was “unknown to the commission in any capacity,” stressing that her actions did not reflect the agency’s values or operations.

“The attention of the Lagos State Safety Commission has been drawn to a viral video circulating on social media in which one Mariam claims to be a staff member of the commission and is alleged to have collected a bribe from unsuspecting members of the public in the Oworonshoki area of Lagos State,” the statement read.

“We wish to categorically state that the said Mariam is not and has never been an employee of the Lagos State Safety Commission,” it added.

The agency reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy for corruption, extortion, and all forms of unethical behaviour, while urging members of the public to report impostors or fraudulent activities through its official channels.

In the video, shared on Facebook by Lagos Reporters and seen by our correspondent on Thursday, a woman wearing a vest with the Lagos State logo was confronted by residents in Oworonshoki for allegedly demanding cash payments.

She was heard admitting to collecting money from residents who lacked certain documents, claiming they had opted to “settle” her rather than visit the commission’s office.

According to the video, the impostor, who posed as a “safety inspector,” allegedly extorted up to N300,000 from residents,  funds that never reached the government’s account.