Kunle ADELABU
Task force team leaving Sabo market with seized goods on Thursday
Four residents engaging in illegal trading activities were, on Thursday, May 23, 2019, arrested by the Task force set up by the Ikorodu Local Government to combat street trading in the council .
The team stormed Ayangbure (Sabo) market, TOS burial ground site – Ikorodu Garage roundabout and Lagos road (from New Gate hospital to Ikorodu garage roundabout) to arrest erring traders and also seized several goods in the process.
The taskforce, which is being chaired by the Majority Leader, Ikorodu LG, Hon. Omotayo Awolesi, commenced operations this week.
During the operation on Thursday, our reporter witnessed scene where some of the erring traders and touts were mobilizing others to attack members of the taskforce.
A woman, who claimed that she belongs to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and working for a chieftain of the party, led the attack.
A woman assaulting officers on duty
She was seen assaulting two officers of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LNSA) attached to the task force .
The woman was joined by two of her daughters in assaulting the officers.
Some men of the Nigerian Police (MOPOL) attached to some banks along Lagos road were also seen preventing the taskforce from operating on the ground that goods of their relatives were confiscated.
Miscreants in the area attempted to take advantage of the tensed situation to rob unsuspecting traders and passers-by but were prevented by the taskforce personnel.
Large number of illegal traders were later seen on the premises of the Ikorodu Local Government in the evening begging for the release of their seized goods.
We also gathered that suspects that were arrested were locked up under the care of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence corps (NSCDC).
Meanwhile, the council chairman, Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, told our reporter that those arrested would be
prosecuted at the law court in accordance with the Environmental law, adding that suspects arrested for assaulting officers on duty would be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others.
