Nigeria, March 11, 2016 – KAI Marshal General, Mr. Jimoh Amusat has condemned attack on members of the Kick Against Indiscipline(KAI), the law enforcement unit of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment.
The KAI marshals were attacked and wounded today while clamping down on illegal traders at the Ile-Epo market, in Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area of the state.
Amusat maintained that such attacks by hoodlums, posing as illegal traders, will not deter the agency from carrying out its statutory responsibilities, reaffirming that the state government would not relent in its efforts to step up enforcement to combat non-compliance with the State Environmental Law.
Jimoh stated that his men embarked on the operation, following the expiration of the seven days ultimatum issued to illegal traders during a monitoring tour of the market by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare to vacate the places.
He explained that their illegal activities had turned the road side and the parking spaces in the area into unauthorized market places despite series of advocacy/enlightenment programme on the danger it posed to the free flow of vehicles along that axis.
“During the operation, which lasted for almost two hours, the illegal traders re-grouped and reinforced to attack KAI operatives, demanding that their members that were arrested with wares must be released to them unconditionally.”
“One of the KAI operative, who was seriously wounded during the attack, had been taken to Orile Agege General Hospital for medical attention, while others that sustained minor injuries were brought to the KAI medical bay for treatment”, he said.
He noted also that some of the operational vehicles of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and KAI Brigade were damaged to an extent that the entire workforce on the enforcement trip had to retreat for safety following the hijacking of the whole exercise by the hoodlums.
Those that were arrested have been handed over to the Task Force officials at their Head office at Alausa, Ikeja for prosecution.
The enforcement team was led by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment Hon. Babatunde Hunpe and other KAI Brigade officials including the Deputy KAI Marshal.
