The once peaceful Ajao Estate, a few kilometers from the international airport in Lagos State on Thursday experienced a riotous moment when operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit, also known as Lagos Taskforce, clashed with commercial motorcyclists, popularly called Okada.
To this, one policeman has been confirmed dead and several persons wounded.
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Neptune Prime learnt that Task Force personnel seized motorcycles belonging to the owners operating in the area and the situation turned violent.
Today’s clash between Okada riders and Lagos State Taskforce officers is not new in the state.
Since the inception of a section of the Environmental Sanitation Law of Lagos and the state’s Road Traffic Law 2012 which specified Environmental Offences throughout the state the Task Force are empowered to impound or take custody of any vehicles, goods, wares, articles or things found in any place that is prohibited under any of the Laws specified in the law.
One of the reasons for the creation of the Taskforce is to address the problems of poor sanitary conditions and indiscriminate slum settlements and shanties in Lagos State.
Also, the Force can arrest and prosecute persons who convert streets and public roads for religions, social and commercial function. Often times too, they liaise with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) in arresting violators of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) dedicated lanes and corridors.
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