Dosunmu arrested for drugs and driving offences

Lambeth Council chief executive Bayo Dosunmu has been arrested and charged with driving and drugs offences.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that he was arrested on Sunday, June 23, after failing to stop at the scene of the accident.

The Met said Dosunmu was charged with possession of a Class A controlled drug, failing to stop after a road traffic accident, driving over the alcohol limit and using a motor vehicle in a public place without third party insurance.

Dosunmu will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, August 1.

Lambeth Council issued a brief statement:

“Lambeth Council Chief Executive Bayo Dosunmu is currently out of work and the council has put in place interim management arrangements. We are unable to make any further comment due to an ongoing police investigation.”

Dosunmu was appointed Chief Executive for Lambeth in April 2022. One of his first jobs was to act as Mandate Officer for the 2022 local elections held in the borough.

This is a role he was due to take up next week for the general election in the four Westminster constituencies in the borough.

It will be up to the Mayor of Lambeth, Cllr John-Paul Ennis, to appoint an interim Returning Officer for the election count next week.

Dosunmu’s previous position was Deputy Chief Executive and Strategic Director for Resident Services at City Hall. His appointment was seen by many as a safe pair of hands following the problems faced by his predecessor, Andrew Travers.

The appointment was made by Labor councilors Claire Holland, Matthew Bennett, Jacqui Dyer and Rezina Chowdhury, along with Green councilor Nicole Griffiths. Three candidates were interviewed.

Dosunmu’s salary on appointment was £185,000. His role as trustee also receives a separate payment.

He then said:

“For me, there is no better organization to lead and no better place to be a public servant than Lambeth.”

It is not clear what the new interim leadership arrangements at the Council will be. In 2017, a Brixton Buzz freedom of information request revealed that Lambeth had four different headmasters over a six-week period.