12th August, 2015
Kazeem Ugbodaga
Worried by the resurgence of hoodlums and nefarious activities in Oshodi area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, the new chairman of the State’s Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, SP Olubukola Abe has vowed to ensure that sanity is brought back to Oshodi and its environs.
Speaking shortly after a sensitisation tour of the area on Tueesday Abe said activities of the hoodlums, street and roadside traders in the area had been constituting eyesore and nuisance to the environment.
He warned that intermittent raid of the area would continue unabated, saying that he decided to take a sensitisation tour to Oshodi in order to enlighten Lagosians, especially people in Oshodi axis that the taskforce would not allow anyone to trample on the law of the state as the taskforce is ready to enforce the law of the state to the letter.
“With what I have seen so far, we are gradually going back to the way Oshodi used to be in the past but we would not allow that to happen. Whatever has brought us back to this state will be adequately corrected.
“We will be collaborating with other relevant agencies and stakeholders as it affects the traffic control across the state and most especially street trading. When the link roads are blocked as a result of the activities of street traders, the effects are the gridlock you see on the express which the hoodlums often capitalise on to perpetrate their nefarious acts,” he said.
Abe stated that he would in the meantime organize a meeting with the stakeholders, the market women, the national Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW and other concerned people so as to bring sanity back to Oshodi area and its environs.
It was observed during the sensitization tour that shop owner in Boladen Oshodi deliberately extended their shops into the inner routes thereby cause serious hitches to free flow traffic. Bus drivers were equally seen parking indiscriminately.
Abe said in as much as the taskforce would want to be conscious of people’s rights under the law, the agency would ensure that it is very firm in its duty as a law enforcement agency.
“This sensitization is coming because we feel we have the duty to let them know that what is right and expected of them. People know what is right but it appears it is difficult for some people to do what is right. This will serve as an enlightenment and warning to them. we are prepared to enforce the law to the letter,” Abe said.