MICHAEL AKINOLA
The fate of an officer of the Lagos State Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) is still hanging in the balance after soldiers descended on him and beat him to stupor on the orders of senior military officers over illegal structure.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Yaba area, where the KAI operatives went to enforce the removal of an illegal structure after the expiration of notices served by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resource through the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps @LAGESCOfficial (KAI). The illegal structure was built by the officers of the Nigerian Army by the perimeter fence of Yaba College of Technology.
This was confirmed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Hon. Barr. Tokunbo Wahab, who said that officials of KAI, the agency saddled with the task of ensuring the overall cleanliness of the environment in the state, were attacked by the soldiers while performing their lawful duties in the Yaba area, where one of them was beaten up almost to the point of death.
Hon. Wahab did not state the alleged offence of the KAI team on his X handle but P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the KAI officials went for enforcement over the illegal structure built by the Military personnel and they were brutally attacked with one of them in coma.
“Earlier today, officers of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (KAI), lawfully engaged in their duties in Yaba, were subjected to an unprovoked attack by personnel of the Nigerian Army under the directive of Major Adebiyi and Captain Gowon.”
“We extend our sincere gratitude to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General T. Lagbaja, and the Director of Chaplain Services, Lt. Col. T.E. Ogbonyomi, for their swift and decisive intervention in support of civil authorities.”
“Their leadership has ensured that KAI officers continue to carry out their responsibilities without further disruption, reinforcing the principle that military personnel are subject to the authority of civil governance within their jurisdictions.”
“We strongly condemn this unwarranted and unacceptable assault on officers executing their lawful duties. Moving forward, such acts will not be tolerated.
We remain committed to ensuring a #CleanerLagos by upholding safety and sanitation standards across the state.”
However, it was not yet confirmed if the KAI official, whose name was withheld by the senior officials, has recovered from coma as at the time of filing this report.