Lagos to Prosecute 38 Street Traders, 33 Miscreants

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) has concluded arrangements to charge 38 arrested street traders and 33 miscreants to the Lagos State Environmental courts for immediate prosecution.

Operatives of the agency had carried out an enforcement exercise to dislodge traders from hawking, selling and displaying wares on road setbacks/walkways in order to protect their lives and to also pave way for free flow of traffic along Ketu axis to Ikorodu roundabout.

The 38 arrested street traders were mostly women who hawked or displayed wares on road setbacks/walkways thereby causing obstruction to free flow of traffic from Ketu to Ikorodu roundabout.

While the 33 arrested miscreants were those who specialise in terrorising people living around Ketu, Owode-Elede, Ajelogo, Alapere and Mile 12 including those collecting illegal fees from motorists.

The enforcement exercise, according to the Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, Mr Olayinka Egbeyemi, was to reiterate the commitment of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in providing a safer and more conducive environment for the people of the State.

While enjoining members of the public particularly traders to desist from either hawking goods or displaying them on road setbacks/walkways, the Chairman however said the Agency would not relent in enforcing every dictate of both the Lagos State Road Traffic Laws of 2012 and Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Laws.