Lagos Drivers Embark On Protest Over Alleged Killings Of Colleagues By Task Force

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The Chairman of Lagos State Task Force on environmental offences and enforcement, CSP Shola Jejeloye, may have pressed the wrong note following the protest embarked on by drivers over the alleged killing of two transport workers in Iyana Ipaja area of the State.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that commercial drivers shut down activities in some parts of the state leaving many passengers stranded as they were unable to go to their places of work.

Some of the areas affected were Ikotun, Iyana Iba, Idimu, Egbeda, Iyana Ipaja among others. The National Union Of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, kept sealed lips probably because of the leadership’s relationship with the State Government and did not issue any statement either in support or against the protest.

However, that did not prevent the drivers from ensuring that vehicles did not operate in those areas till about 6.00pm.
Some of the protesters claimed that two of their colleagues were allegedly killed by Policemen and Lagos State Task Force officers.

The identity of the victims were not disclosed by the rampaging drivers, who ensured that the major roads were blocked by their colleagues in compliance.

Meanwhile the Lagos State Environmental Enforcement and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) has denied any killing of a commercial bus driver in the state.

The Chairman of the Lagos Task Force, CSP Shola Jejeloye, disclosed this in a statement issued by Femi Moliki, Head of Public Affairs unit of the agency on Tuesday.
Jejeloye said operatives of the Task Force did not kill any commercial bus driver. He explained that what led to the protest by commercial drivers was “an attempt to escape arrest by a danfo driver, who on sighting the operatives of the agency in Iyana-Ipaja area, sped off and hit a broken down bus”.

He said the broken down vehicle injured a technician, who was repairing it and was taken to the hospital immediately, where he was treated and discharged the same day.

He (Jejeloye) emphasised that there is no truth in the fake news that Lagos State Task Force killed a driver and its conductor, noting that such incident never happened anywhere in the State.
He stated that he has been meeting with key stakeholders in the axis to ensure that commuters are not made to go through harrowing experiences as a result of the protest.

CSP Jejeloye, while urging the officers to remain focused and dedicated to their duties, reminded them of the primary duty of law enforcement and safety of lives and property.
He stated that Government reposes so much power in them and that they must therefore, learn to be professional in the discharge of their duties.

The Chairman added that the Lagos Task Force would not abdicate its statutory duty of enforcing traffic laws in the metropolis over “penchant disregard of some motorists for traffic laws in the state”.
He urged the officers to discharge their duties responsibly and be humane to road users when necessary.