No fewer than 55 vehicles were impounded yesterday by Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) operatives around Adekunle Fajuyi Road, GRA Ikeja.
They were accused of driving against traffic and causing obstruction to motorists driving towards the railway line at Shogunle.
Their owners were arraigned before Magistrate Lateef Owolabi and Magistrate Patrick Uwaka of the Lagos State Mobile Court sitting at Oshodi.
The vehicles were impounded for contravening Schedule (1) Item 27 of the Lagos State Road Traffic Law of 2012.
A statement by the task force said 25 of the vehicles had been forfeited to the government.
Also yesterday, two officials of Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), Bukola Fadare and Adeola Olamide, were injured in Ojuwoye Mushin.
They were attacked by some Okada riders and area boys over the task force’s raid of the area.
The injured are in the hospital.
Deputy Corps Marshal (Operations), LAGESC, Ganiyu Kazeem, said the agency’s Green Maria stationed at Mushin was attacked by hoodlums around 9:30am.
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Kazeem said: “My personnel did not know that the task force just finished raiding the area. They were attacked by Okada riders and area boys in the area. They stoned one of my drivers and injured another. We are not doing any operation; we were just victims of the retaliation in the area.”
LAGESC Public Affairs Officer Rahmat Alabi, in a statement, said the task force had earlier arrested some Okada riders on Isolo road, opposite Total Filling Station, Mushin.
She said: “The remaining Okada riders and some area boys regrouped for reprisal but unfortunately, the LAGESC operatives ran into them and were pounced upon violently such that two of LAGESC officers were seriously wounded in the attack.
“Fadare (driver) and Olamide (Deputy Unit Head) who sustained serious injury have been rushed to the Safety Arena Medical Centre for First Aid treatment. The Green Maria operational vehicle marked KRD-624DS with LAGESC tag no 038 was damaged beyond recognition. It was a LASEMA towing vehicle that brought it down to our office.”
Task force Chairman Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said his men went on enforcement, on non-compliance with the traffic laws and two bikes were apprehended and pulled out.
“The Okada riders and area boys attacked LAGSEC officials. A driver was injured; he lost control and ran into two cars. The vehicles were smashed. They wanted to burn the vehicles and kill the driver. We had to rescue those trapped. We had finished our enforcement but those in the area were angry over our enforcement and it was a transfer of aggression on the LAGESC operatives.”
