Five officials of the Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA) have been arraigned before a Delta State High Court sitting in Ughelli, Ughelli North local government area of the state, over allegations of theft and extortion.
The case has drawn public attention, and the court is expected to determine the officials’ culpability in the allegations levelled against them.
The five officials were arraigned following claims by a 44-year-old commercial tricycle rider that N81 000 in cash went missing after his tricycle was impounded by DESTMA officials at the Otovwodo market in Ughelli.
The tricycle operator alleged that the DESTMA officials had accused him of wrongful parking and consequently impounded his tricycle.
At the DESTMA office, he was told to pay a fine of N10, 000, but the officials increased the amount they demanded to N30, 000 after he accused them of stealing the money he left inside his tricycle.
The man said he was instructed to pay the money into a Zenith Bank account, which he did before his tricycle was released.
Following a formal complaint to the police, the five officials were arrested and detained. Their arraignment marks the beginning of legal proceedings to address charges of extortion and criminal misconduct made against them.
Attempts to reach the director of DESTMA, Mr Desmond Adu, for comments on the incident proved unsuccessful, as calls and messages to his mobile phone went unanswered.
