Lagos Sanitation: Court To Decide Movement Restriction Application Tomorrow

Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed Friday(tomorrow) to rule on an application by the Lagos State Government, seeking to suspend the enforcement of the judgment that lifted the ban on citizens’ movement during the monthly sanitation exercise.

Justice Mohammed Idris fixed the date on Thursday after the Lagos State Solicitor General, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), had canvassed an argument in support of the motion for stay of execution of the March 16 judgment, which voided the movement restriction policy.

Idris had, on March 16,  declared the movement restriction policy as illegal and a violation of sections 35 and 41 of the Constitution, which preserved the citizens’ right to personal liberty and freedom of movement.

Though the judge did not overrule the sanitation exercise, he held that Lagos State and its agents lacked the legal backing to arrest or detain any citizen found moving during the exercise as there was currently no law to that effect.

“I have no doubt that the restrictions imposed on the movement of persons and sanctions meted out to those who breach them are clearly unsupportable in law and unjustified.

“I must state loud and clear that the environmental sanitation exercise is not in itself unlawful, but what is unlawful and unconstitutional is the restriction imposed by the respondents during the exercise,” Idris had held.

But Lagos State Government had since lodged an appeal against the judgment.

The state’s Solicitor General, in a further affidavit, insisted that the judge did not consider or exhaust all the relevant provisions of the law before arriving at his judgment.

“We were able to show exceptional circumstances in our further affidavit; we exhibited a law, which, I must concede, was not brought to the attention of the court; the court would have been more comfortable while arriving at its judgment, if that law was brought before my Lord,” Pedro said on Thursday.

He made reference to and read Section 28 (1) and (2) of the amended Enviromental Sanitation Edict of 1987, which empowered the police, a sanitary officer or a member of the then Military Task Force to arrest without a warrant any person “found roaming about without lawful excuse within such specific period,” when any normal communal or other civic obligation directed by either the state or Federal Government was supposed to be observed.

Pedro further likened the movement restriction policy to what obtains during the general elections period, saying though, he was not aware of any specific law that said movement must be frozen during elections, peculiar circumstances necessitated the policy.

In opposition, the respondent/applicant, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, had asked the court to refuse the application for stay of judgment execution, saying Lagos State had a perchant for disregarding court judgments.

He said the state had been known for undermining the authority of the court and accused the state of deliberately delaying hearing in its own appeal against Idris’ judgment.

But one Quduz Lawal, deponent to Lagos State’s further affidavit, debunked the claim, saying, “I specifically deny the allegation of the respondent that it is the trade mark of the 3rd-6th respondents/applicants to always disregard judgment of courts.

“There has been no enviromental sanitation exercise in Lagos State since the judgment of this court was delivered on 16th March, 2015.

“I also deny that the applicant intends to delay the hearing of the appeal against the judgment of this honourable court.”

Idris reserved judgment till Friday.

Wife Of Late MKO Abiola Declares Lagos Governorship Ambition

Mrs Dupe Onitiri-Abiola, one of the wives of late Chief MKO Abiola, has announced her intentions to contest the governorship seat in Lagos State in the next general elections.

Mrs Onitiri-Abiola says she has ‘all the formula to solve unemployment, electricity & education problems plaguing Lagos state’ Mrs Onitiri-Abiola has not revealed the political party she would contest on.

She says she is still studying the existing ones and would make her choice known by the end of the month.

Houses, Cars Vandalized After Hoodlums Reprisal Attack In Lagos

Some suspected hoodlums  invaded Olaiya Street, Mafoluku in the Oshodi Isolo area of Lagos State on Sunday morning.

They vandalising no fewer than 50 vehicles and some buildings, including that of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Tree of Life parish.

The residents said the men, identified as Garage Boys, numbering over 100 and armed with bottles, cutlasses and other weapons, attacked the area and did the damage around 2am.

The residents said it was the fourth time the group would wreak such havoc without any challenge from policemen that usually come after the harm had been done.

It was  gathered that the Sunday morning attack was a reprisal for an earlier onslaught against the Garage Boys by the Alagbole Boys, another notorious group in the area.

While the cultists unleashed the mayhem, our correspondent learnt that residents were holed up in their houses for fear of being killed by the rampaging gang who dared residents to come out.

A secondary school student, Bose Abidogun, said she woke up around 2am and began taking note of the incident.

In her account obtained by our correspondent, she said, “It was like a nightmare, the worst I have seen. Around 2.38am, I woke up because I heard a bang outside. I first thought it was a robbery operation, but then I peeped through the window. I saw a group of boys armed with sticks, cutlasses, hitting the glass of every car on the street.

“I watched as Pastor Dare (a resident) looked at them destroying his car and could not do anything. The boys kept moving from car to car, breaking the cars’ glasses and winthrdscreens.”

Pastor Dare Majadeogbe said he watched helplessly as his private and church cars were damaged. He put his loss at N300, 000.

Majadeogbe said the gang had destroyed some cars and buildings on the adjoining street in 2013.

“Last year, they invaded Ayoni Street and destroyed many cars in a similar fashion. Now they have finished off Olaiya Street and vandalised all the cars they saw, ” he added.

Another resident, whose three cars were damaged, Timothy Adeniran, said he had lived in the area for 28 years and the problems started three years back.

Adeniran said he called the police during the incident, but they did not show up until two hours after the men were gone.

The Chairman of the Landlords and Tenants Association, Dauda Sulaiman, berated the attitude of the Makinde Police Division, which he described as non-challant.

He said, “I was out of Lagos when the incident happened. But immediately it started, the local vigilance group on the street called me around 12am. I asked them to alert the Makinde Police Station which is three streets away from us. I was reliably informed that they informed the police immediately, but the police came around 4am. While the boys were destroying the cars, some of the residents even went to the station at that odd hour, but the policemen there did not respond.”

Biodun Adeoto said it was the second time he was suffering heavy losses, alleging that the police had always made arrests in the past, only to later let suspects off the hook.

“They destroyed four windows of my car about four years ago. I was in Ilorin when I heard they had damaged another car. I couldn’t believe it. What have we done? I believe the police know the people disturbing the street, and if they want to show seriousness, they should go and get them,” he said.

The traditional ruler of Mafoluku, Husam Elemo said,“This has been happening for a long time, and I have always showed my dislike for things like this. Most times, the Special Anti Robbery Squad and Makinde Police Division would come in, and nothing would come out. The Alagbole boys and Garage Boys have been disturbing us. We do not want them to bury this recent devastation, like other cases. I want the government to wade into it this time so we can have lasting peace.”

Credit:punch news

Soldier Killed In Lagos Robbery Operation

Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos, smashed a robbery gang in the Ilasamaja area of Lagos State, killing two and arresting one other.

Report has it  that among those killed was a soldier, identified as Sgt Eyo B, with number 93NA/968.

According to Police authorities, the suspects were about to embark on a robbery operation around 7pm on Wednesday when the Officer-in-Charge of SARS, Abba Kyari, deployed his men in the area.

The suspects, on sighting the police, were said to have opened fire on the policemen after which the policemen fired back, killing two of the suspects while the third suspect, Chinonso Egbuzobi, was arrested.

Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said ammunition and a vehicle were recovered from the suspects.

She said, “Around 7pm on Wednesday, the Officer-in-Charge of SARS, SP Abba Kyari, received information that a group of armed robbers were about to strike a bureau de change in the Ilasamaja area of Lagos.

“Kyari deployed his men in the area and they engaged the robbers in a shootout and arrested one of the gang members, Chinonso Egbuzobi, 28.

“Two of the armed robbers, including one with Nigeria Army ID Card with No 93NA/968, depicting Sgt Eyo B, were fatally wounded.

“An AK47 rifle With S/no 05267, 11 Loaded AK47 Magazines, Chevrolet Jeep with plate number, LH 124 EKY were recovered. Investigation continues.”

All attempts to speak with the General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Major General Obi Umahi, for comment, proved abortive as his line stated that it was switched off.