Our Operatives Not Involved In Bus Driver’s Death, Says Task Force Chairman

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Task Force) has distanced itself from the setting ablaze of a commercial bus driver whose vehicle was allegedly impounded.

A statement signed by the agency’s spokesperson, Abdulraheem Gbadeyan, stated that “the Task Force officials had no hand in the enforcement for compliance that led to a commercial-bus driver setting himself ablaze to resist his vehicle from being impounded by yet-to-identified security agents.”

The Chairman of the Agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, in his reaction to a report on the incident said that at the time of the incident, his men were still at the base.

“The accusations are utterly inaccurate and misleading as investigations and the eyewitness accounts of persons who were present at the scene of the incident had categorically revealed that the driver, one Mr Ayo, aka ‘Eru’, poured petrol on himself to scare the security operatives from enforcing the traffic law which he violated.

“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,” he said.

The chairman stated that the act of setting self ablaze, robbing self with feaces, chasing law enforcement officers with urine and other crazy acts are now the new waves of resisting arrest by recalcitrant motorists who had developed the habit and passion for violating the State Traffic and Environmental laws.

He, however, said that if they were 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 roads.

Jejeloye also stated that one Festus Ugbesia from Mafoluku in Oshodi area who claimed to be the owner of the bus drove the victim from the scene of the incident down to the agency’s headquarters.

Jejeloye also alleged that Ugbesia incited the members of the public against the agency, that the officials of the Task Force had been fingered for setting the victim ablaze.

He said, “It later dawned on him that the personnel of the Task Force 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 petrol for their operational vehicles at the agency’s headquarters.”

Jejeloye stated that the officials of the Task Force assisted the victim to quickly get medical attention at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital as part of the agency’s patriotic act and corporate social responsibility.

“Let me emphasise 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 civilised, educated and professional to have allowed such an incident to happen during any of the enforcement operations,” he stated.

The chairman admonished all recalcitrant offenders and advised them to know that traffic offence is not a criminal offence.

He advised offenders to always keep faith with the country’s judicial system and summon courage to submit self for prosecution at the Court for any offence committed.