The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Agency (Taskforce) has arrested and concluded plans to prosecute 12 suspects who allegedly attacked officials at the Alapere area of Ketu.
The officials were on an enforcement duty on Tuesday, when they were attacked.
During the attack, the suspects and others on the run allegedly damaged four vehicles belonging to the agency.
The Chairman of Taskforce, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, stated that the enforcement team of the agency and men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) had responded to a distressed call that some protesters were about to burn down Alapere Police Station.
He said the protesters were angry over the clampdown on commercial motorcycle operators plying illegal routes.
He said the Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP Hakeem Odumosu, directed that the police should clamp down on Okada riders violating the law on illegal routes.
He explained that on getting to the scene around Alapere police Station, the protesters came out en mass to attack the agency’s enforcement team with stones, Iron-rod, broken bottles, and cutlasses, stressing that it was in the course of restoring peace and order in the area that the officers were injured and their vehicles damaged.
Egbeyemi confirmed that 38 suspects were initially arrested during the fracas, but 26 individuals were later released after thorough screening, adding that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu has since directed that the remaining 12 suspects be immediately charged to court.
“Let me state categorically clear that the battle line has been drawn with these illegal motorcyclists and to warn various associations regulating their operations to immediately call them to comply with the law as the government would no longer tolerate the slightest attack on any enforcement personnel forthwith”,
he stated.
CSP Egbeyemi also revealed that the agency impounded 493 commercial motorcycles and riders arrested after they were caught contravening the law by plying restricted routes around Alapere, Ketu and Mile-2 area of the State by the operatives of the agency with the support of men of the RRS on Monday.
He said that the agency’s driver, Ojo Tobiloba, who was severely injured during that attack was receiving treatment at an on the undisclosed hospital.
Egbeyemi reiterated the determination of the agency to ensure that all road users in the state abide by the stipulated traffic rules and regulations.
