Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), popularly known as KAI, has debunked the allegations of sexual harassment made by a female street trader at Oyingbo market against officers while dislodging street traders.
A statement on Monday signed by the agency’s corps marshal Gbemi Akinpelu (Retd) said the clearance operation was duly authorised to dislodge traders who have completely taken over the walkway opposite the market after repeated warnings.
The statement said the female trader was only trying to whip up sentiments to deter the officers from carrying out their duties with the false allegations.
Akinpelu added that an investigation into the claim had revealed that the said woman was notorious for constituting a nuisance on the main road with the open display of her wares which extended to the walkway.
Akinpelu stated that the in-house investigation also revealed that it is the stock in trade of the particular woman to cry wolf when there was none, as similar false allegations of KAI operatives pestering her for love has led to the redeployment of three sectional heads at different times until investigations revealed the motive behind the false accusations.
According to her, the street trader and several others flouted the Lagos Environmental Management Protection Law by erecting a wooden kiosk with the intent to display raw foodstuffs for sale on the walkway at Oyingbo, thereby impeding vehicular and human movement in the area.
“As the premier environmental enforcement Agency set up by the Lagos State Government under the Ministry of Environment to rid the State of environmental nuisances in response to complaints from motorists and pedestrians, we are committed to enforcing the State’s law by dislodging illegal street traders,” she stated.
The corps marshal noted that the incident/operation which took place on Monday April 17, 2023 was a fallout of the stakeholders’ meeting held on Saturday, April 15, 2023 which had in attendance relevant stakeholders including the Vice chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government, Jibril Emilagba, and Iyaloja of Oyingbo market in which a resolution was reached that all make-shift shops used for trading on the median, drainages and setbacks be evacuated on Monday, April 17, 2023.
Akinpelu explained that the said woman has, on several occasions, harassed corps officers on lawful duties to attract sympathy and incite mob action against them.
“The authorities of Lagos Mainland Local Government and the Iyaloja are on the same page with KAI on this issue and have promised not to allow any street trader to return to the cleared points both in front of the Oyingbo market and along the road to enable free flow of traffic,” the corps marshal said.
