Court jails 14 for attacking Lagos sanitation officers

Court jails 14 for attacking Lagos sanitation officers

No fewer than 14 persons have been sentenced to three months imprisonment each for assaulting officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, KAI, and vandalising the agency’s operational vehicle.

The convicts were arraigned and convicted on Wednesday at the Magistrate Court sitting in Bolade, Oshodi, after they pleaded guilty to the charges.

According to the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, the incident occurred during an enforcement operation at Oshodi Resettlement Market.

He said the suspects attacked KAI personnel who were carrying out lawful duties and damaged one of the agency’s vehicles before they were apprehended at the scene.

Wahab disclosed the development on his X handle on Wednesday, stating that the convicts were detained at the agency’s headquarters in Oshodi before being arraigned.

Those convicted are Zaradeen Sheu, Abdullahi Bello, Saheed Oladele, Dan Halima Umar, Nofiu Ibrahim, Abubakar Sari, Alfred Magnus, Sanni Adamu, Umar Sabi, Dayabu Danmar, Seidu Adam, Isa Muhammed, Yakubu Umar and Abubakar Muktari.

“14 individuals were arraigned before the Magistrate Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, for assaulting KAI personnel and damaging their vehicle. They all pled guilty and were convicted and sentenced to three months in prison,” Wahab wrote.

The commissioner reiterated the state government’s commitment to enforcing environmental laws, warning that attacks on government officials carrying out their duties would no longer be tolerated.

The latest conviction comes four months after another Lagos Magistrate Court in April sentenced three persons to jail for assaulting KAI officials during a routine enforcement exercise on Olowu Street, Ipodo area.