Joy Anyim
Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps ( LAGESC) were badly injured on Friday December 6, 2019, while carrying out enforcement on street traders along Queens Drive in Ikoyi, leaving three operational trucks damaged.
According to LAGESC, the exercise, which is part of the Governor’s mandate to clear the State of all environmental nuisance and infractions such as street trading on walk ways/setbacks as well as erection of illegal shanties across the State, was led by the Deputy Corps Marshal in charge of Operations, Mr. Ganiu Kazeem and Deputy Corps Marshal, Discipline and Staff Welfare, Mr. Adeleke Adeeso.
It was learnt that during the exercise, staff of the Federal High Court who were known to patronise the street traders obstructed the operatives while dislodging the street traders who had earlier been given several notices to vacate the location due to blockage of drainage channels.
In a statement by the Corp Marshal of the Agency, CP Gbemisola Akinpelu (rtd), issued on Saturday, the high court staff had in support of their security men, hurled stones, bottles and other dangerous objects.
“Kazeem explained that the team arrived at the scene of the incident at about 1:45 pm but were attacked by staff of the Federal High Court with the support of private security personnel, hurling stones, iron rods, broken bottles and cutlasses and leaving members of the enforcement team injured.
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“He maintained that the operation had nothing to do with the staff of the Court but it was discovered that the hawkers were paying rent to the private security of the Court thereby necessitating the intervention by court personnel.
“The Deputy Corp Marshal confirmed that some of suspects were arrested during the fracas, while the case was also immediately reported at the Ikoyi Police Station for further investigation,” he said.
Akinpelu further urged Lagosians to comply with the laws on street trading as the government would no longer tolerate the slightest attack on any enforcement personnel.
In the statement signed the Agency’s Public Affairs Officer, Adebayo Kehinde, the injured enforcement officers include; Oyedokun Samson (driver), Iwatan Oluwa Seun, Riwatan Oluwatobi and Shipeolu Babatunde.
The wounded are said to be currently receiving treatment while one of them who was stabbed in the neck is still in critical condition.
Akinpelu also reiterated the determination of the agency to ensure that all the citizens in the state abide by the stipulated environmental regulations of the State noting that nobody in the State is above the law and warning people to desist from attacking enforcement officers out to carry their legal duties.