No fewer than 17 residents of Lagos have been sentenced to one month imprisonment for converting pedestrian bridges to sleeping areas and damaging polycarbonate roofing sheets fixed by the government to shield its users during rainy season and sun.
The convicts, including a female, were arrested around the Dopemu, Onilekere, Airport road and Ikeja Along bus stop for vandalism pedestrian bridges mounted by the government to protect residents.
Those convicted by the Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile Court) sitting at Bolade-Oshodi were Kazeem Aliu, M, 36, Solomon Ikechukwu, M, 21, Babatunde Peter, M, 22, Ajayi Samuel, M, 21, Isa Ibrahim, M, 40, Useni Abdullahi, M, 52, Ayuba Rahman, M, 20, Emmanuel Samuel, M, 21, Sani Wasiu, M, 28, Uzoagba Chijioke, M, 26, Taofik Fabowale, M, 31, Ogbede Esther, F, 35, Precious Gabriel, F, 29, Akeredolu Femi, M, 35, Sodiq Oladosu, M, 20, Sunday Oyeniran, M, 21, and Oyebo Imole, M, 21years old.
They were arraigned before Senior Magistrate C.K Tunji Careena, who after they pleaded guilty to a single charge bordering on the destruction of government property, sentenced them to a month imprisonment without the option of fine.
Speaking on the conviction, the Corps Marshal, Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) popularly known as KAI, Major Olaniyi Cole (retd), stated that they were apprehended and subsequently convicted by a court in accordance with the law.
According to him, ‘‘While it is evident to extol the successes of our enforcement operation in recent weeks against criminal elements causing hindrance to pedestrians, we consolidated on our drive by arresting 17 miscreants who damaged polycarbonate roofing sheets meant to shield pedestrians from sunshine and rain thereby turning these materials into makeshift beds for sleeping which is a clear infraction on public utilities’’.
The KAI Boss expressed delight with the judgement as he added that it would serve as deterrents to others to desist from sabotaging government property for their frivolous gains which stands in defiance to the State’s Criminal and Environmental Laws.
Underscoring the need for Lagosians to desist from street trading, Cole warned traders to refrain from displaying their wares for sale in traffic, on gutters, setbacks, road verges, medians, kerbs just as he implored Lagos residents to dispose refuse properly via approved PSP-operators.
