The Lagos State Taskforce has refuted any involvement in the death of a resident during Okada enforcement at Amuwo-Second Odofin’s Rainbow Bus Stop.
The operation was conducted by CSP Shola Jejeloye, Chairman of the Agency, who disproved the media allegations and emphasised that the false claim of a disturbance and the death of an unidentified person came from troublemakers determined to incite public discontentment with the taskforce team.
He claims that the enforcement operation to capture Okada drivers using unauthorised routes along the axis was well planned and carried out without disturbance from other road users or bystanders.
CSP Jejeloye said: “Activities of the Lagos State Taskforce are carried out with the highest degree of civility and regard for human life. We have been to Second Rainbow more than three times this year to carry out enforcement operations and have never recorded any injuries, talk less of loss of life. There was no provocation at all during yesterday’s exercise so the claim that we fired live ammunition at Okada operators is completely false”.
Although the Taskforce Chairman recognised that most enforcement operations are not friendly to people, he also emphasised that since traffic offences are not crimes, the Agency makes sure that people’s lives and property are well protected during regulatory actions.
He said: “It is better to let 20 guilty traffic offenders escape than let one innocent individual lose his life. I always address my officers and men on the need to embrace civility and protect human lives during enforcement operations on the ban on Okada operators across the State.
“If things get heated up, the maximum action we can take is to fire teargas and canisters into the air to disperse them. Firing live rounds is excessive and can never be from any member of the team”.
Throughout order to ensure that Lagos stays safe, clean, and livable for all people, Jejeloye promised to continue enforcing compliance with the ban on Okada operators in the impacted Local Government and Local Council Development Areas of the State.