Gridlock: Lagos Task Force Clamps down On Illegal Traders
The operatives of both the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Taskforce) Unit and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has commenced clamp down on illegal trading activities to avert traffic congestion in Lagos metropolis.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Chief Superintendent of Police who disclosed this to journalists on Sunday in Lagos said the activities of illegal traders, hawkers and other environmental nuisances was an eye-sore.
According to him, the menace has continued to impede free flow of traffic around Kodesho Street, Medical Road and Ikeja under bridge towards Railway line, among others in the state.
He said the exercise was in line with Section (1) of the Lagos State Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law 2003 which prescribes a punishment of N90, 000 or a (6) month jail term, for both the buyer and the seller of any goods or services on all roads across the state.
“Despite continuous advocacy, enlightenment and appeals from the government some illegal traders and hawkers were still of the habit of violating the extant environmental laws of the State by causing disorder and serious environmental infraction on the roads through their activities.
“All illegal traders and hawkers must vacate the roads in order to drastically reduce inconveniences to motorists, enhance the sustainability of the environment and protect public infrastructures which were often vandalized by hawkers and Street traders’
Egbeyemi said that government would not tolerate the disregard of law from any quarters, particularly traders who were found of converting every available space into market as such untoward acts needlessly inconvenience other law abiding citizens.
“During the exercise seven illegal traders were arrested while different types of good ranging from fairly used clothes (okrika), shoes, belt, fairly used electronics, gas cylinders mobile phone accessories were also confiscated by the enforcement team”
He added that, this is a pointer to other locations such as Oyingbo, Bariga, Mushin, Yaba, Orile-Iganmu, Apapa, Ikorodu, Mile 12, Ojota, Ojora, Obalende and Lagos Island where activities of these illegal traders impeded the free flow of traffic that it would not be business as usual till zero tolerance is maintained
