Juliana Francis
Jejeloye
The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences
Enforcement Taskforce, has denied that its officials causing a commercial bus
driver to set himself ablaze.
The chairman of the Agency, a Chief Superintendent
of Police (CSP), Mr. Shola Jejeloye, said that Taskforce had no hand in the
matter.
According to him, as at the time of the incident,
his men were still at the base. He added that the accusations were utterly
inaccurate and misleading as investigations and eyewitness account of persons
who were present at the scene of the incident had categorically revealed that
the victim, Mr. Ayo aka Eru doused
himself with petrol to scare the security operatives from enforcing the traffic
law which he had violated.
The Director, Press and Public Affairs, Lagos State
Taskforce, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, in a press statement, said: “After
the operatives had left, luck ran out on him and some of the hoodlums present
mistook him for one of the security operatives and set him ablaze.”
Jejeloye further stated that the barbaric act of
setting self-ablaze, robbing self with faeces, chasing law enforcement officers
with urine and other crazy acts were now the new wave of resisting arrest by
recalcitrant motorists who had developed the habit and passion for violating
the State Traffic and Environmental Laws.
He said: “If they are bold enough to be serial law
breakers, they should be courageous enough to face the consequences of their
illegal actions rather than constituting nuisance on Lagos road.”
He narrated how a 40 years old Mr. Festus Ugbesia,
residing in Mafoluku area of Oshodi, an owner of a bus drove the victim from
the scene of the incident down to the Agency Headquarters, inciting members
of public against the Agency, alleging
that the officials of the Taskforce were fingered as being responsible for
setting the victim on fire.
“But it later dawned on him that Taskforce had no
hand in it when he discovered that our men and officials were still on the
parade ground preparing for the task of the day, while the transport department
of the Agency was still sourcing for petrol for their operational vehicles at
the Agency Headquarters. We have had many instances where imposters carry out
illegal activities and mention the name of Taskforce in the process thereby
leading to people pointing accusing fingers at us. We have arrested a few of these
imposters and we will keep doing so until they desist from tarnishing the image
of the Agency.”
Jejeloye stressed that not all security operative
sighted on Lagos Roads were attached to Taskforce. “Officials of Taskforce are
trained, enlightened, educated, professionals and equipped enough to
distinguish between traffic offence and criminal offence. Traffic offence is
not a criminal offence, as such, minimal or zero force has to be applied in
carrying out the enforcement. Enforcement all over the world is not a tea party
and in most cases, it is not people friendly, that is the reason Taskforce
operatives do not get any support from passersby during their operations,
rather what is always obtainable is little truths but massive lies against the
agency,” stated Jejeloye.
He also stated that the officials of the Taskforce
assisted the victim to quickly get medical attention from Lagos State Teaching
Hospital (LASUTH) as part of its patriotic act and corporate social
responsibility.
He said: “Let me emphasised here that for us as an
Agency of Government we believe that it is better for us to allow an offender
to go unharmed than to cause an injury. The officials of the Agency are being
led by Senior Police Officers who are well trained and exposed. We are
civilsed, educated and professional to allow such incident happen during any of
enforcement operation.”
He admonished all recalcitrant offenders to keep
faith with the country’s judicial system and summon courage to submit self for
prosecution at the Court for the offence committed. “It is better and cheaper
for them to face the reality of the offence they committed, rather than being
evasive or demonstrating insanity to escape arrest which is no longer
acceptable to us. Nigerians are no fools.”
For years now, the Taskforce had been accused of
many infractions against motorists, but its management always comes out to deny
these infractions.
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