LAGOS, Nigeria — Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat has warned people who stop luxury cars along the Lekki-Epe Expressway to desist.
The deputy governor made the comments during an appearance on Nigeria Info FM on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, after broadcaster Jimi Disu raised concerns about people stopping expensive vehicles to photograph or record them.
He said the practice is criminal. He also disclosed that several people have already been arrested.
Hamzat said surveillance cameras along the busy corridor were helping authorities identify offenders.
“That is criminal and therefore, we will not allow it. We will take a lot of them off the streets,” Hamzat said.
Cameras Used to Identify Suspects
Car spotting is a popular pastime in which enthusiasts photograph or record exotic, rare or luxury vehicles.
Hamzat did not condemn the activity itself. His warning was directed at people who interfere with motorists by attempting to stop their vehicles on public roads.
He said the state had already acted against some people identified through surveillance footage.
“Well, a lot of people have been arrested. If you commit… a lot of cameras are also on that road, and people have been seen,” Hamzat said.
He added that some suspects had been taken before a Magistrate Court after being arrested in recent days.
The Lekki-Epe Expressway is one of Lagos’s busiest transport corridors and serves several residential, commercial and entertainment districts.
Hamzat Condemns Harassment at Peller Wedding
The deputy governor also addressed another form of street harassment during the programme.
He criticised the conduct of people who approached guests for money during the recent wedding of TikTok creators Habeeb “Peller” Hamzat and Amadou “Jarvis” Aminata.
Videos from the celebration showed some men surrounding guests and demanding money while referring to their familiarity with Peller.
Hamzat said such behaviour should not become socially acceptable.
“Some boys are saying, ‘Oh, we know Peller. He used to be here. He must give us our own.’ And a lot of them are giving cash,” he said.
“So as a society, that must be unacceptable.”
The deputy governor argued that tolerating such conduct would make it harder for authorities to maintain order in public spaces.
Deputy Governor Calls for Regulation
Hamzat said governments must be prepared to regulate activities that create disorder or threaten other people’s rights.
He also referred to past debates over attempts to regulate social media, noting that proposals for greater oversight had often encountered resistance over concerns about freedom of expression.
“There is no nation where you don’t control things,” he said.
Hamzat, a computer scientist, described social media as a tool that could be beneficial but argued that societies still needed rules governing conduct.
His comments signal that Lagos authorities intend to intensify enforcement against people who obstruct or harass motorists under the guise of car spotting.
For enthusiasts along the Lekki-Epe corridor, the distinction is now clear: watching or photographing unusual vehicles is one thing. Trying to stop them on the road could bring an encounter with law enforcement.
