Officials of the Lagos State government who were out to
enforce a clean-up of the Ikoyi/Victoria Island neighborhood in upmarket Lagos,
were physically attacked by military personnel at the roundabout opposite Bonny
Camp.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, February 25, 2020.
Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has issued new laws to
curb environmental degradation and improve waste management in a city notorious
for its mounds of filth, shanties and clogged drainage channels.
“The team, which had been conducting daily enforcement
raids, visited the roundabout under the Bonny Camp to continue the exercise but
were confronted by uniformed military personnel who prevented them from
confiscating the items displayed and sold in violation of the law,” a statement
from the Lagos state government on the incident reads.
“During the encounter, the military personnel, in the
company of some other individuals in mufti, questioned the audacity of Lagos
state government officials to conduct raids near a military capacity and
resorted to beating up all identified officers of the state within sight.
“The action of the military men emboldened some of the
street traders who resorted to hurling stones and other dangerous items at the
officers who were on enforcement duties.
“However, the enforcement team thwarted attempts by the
assailants to smash the video camera of one of the television stations attached
to the enforcement team, while a Public Affairs Officer was also assaulted and
had his mobile phone damaged.”
Leader of the Lagos state environmental clean-up team, Tunji
Bello, describes the action of the soldiers as unfortunate.
He says as part of the proactive measures undertaken by his
committee, letters of intent were written to the various military and police
formations to inform them of the committee's operations in the Victoria Island
and Ikoyi area.
23 people were arrested for offences ranging from street
trading, breach of peace and obstructing the highways during Tuesday’s
enforcement rounds.
“Those arrested have been charged before a Special Offences
Mobile Court sitting at Falomo Roundabout in Ikoyi and handed out appropriate
punishments,” the Lagos state government adds.
Civil disobedience?
Spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Col Onyema Nwachukwu,
was not immediately available for comments as calls placed to his mobile
returned answered before this story was published.
Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital and most populous city,
has had a hard time subjecting soldiers or military personnel to civil
authority, 20 years after civilian democracy replaced military rule in Africa’s
most populous nation.
Soldiers have had bloody encounters with traffic management
and police personnel alike, with mass transit buses burnt and law enforcement
agents killed in street brawls.
Former Lagos State Governors, Babatunde Fashola and
Akinwunmi Ambode, did confront soldiers flouting traffic laws, driving on
restricted lanes or heading against traffic.
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