Unfortunately, a stray bullet allegedly from policemen attached to the Lagos Task Force, who visited the area to enforce the ban on commercial motorcycles hit him , killing on the spot.
But in a swift reaction, the Lagos State task Force denied having a hand in the death of the man.
Chairman of the agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye,in a statement signed by the Director, Press & Public Affairs, Lagos State Taskforce, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, yesterday, said he personally led the operation on Monday.
He stated that the operation was smooth throughout the period of the raid, describing reports on the culpability of his men as untrue.
According to the statement, “ The attention of the Lagos State Taskforce has been drawn to a purported claim making rounds that officials of the Agency were involved in a shoot out at Second Rainbow Bus Stop in Amuwo Odofin, during an enforcement for compliance exercise yesterday(Monday) targeted at okada operators which left one unidentified person dead.
“Activities of the Lagos State Task Force are carried out with the highest degree of civility and caution because we are dealing with human lives in our operations. We have been to Second Rainbow more than three times this year to carry out enforcement operations and have never recorded any injuries, talk more 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”.
CSP Shola Jejeloye further stated that “though enforcement operations are not people friendly, the Agency still makes sure that human lives and property are preserved during traffic enforcement activities as traffic offense is not a criminal offense.
“It is better to let 20 guilty traffic offenders escape than let one innocent individual lose his life and that is how we operate. I addressed my officers and men last week on the high level of compliance towards the ban on okada operators across the State, there is no need for us to fire live rounds at harmless okada operators. If things get heated up, the maximum action we can take is to fire teargas canisters into the air to disperse them.
“Firing live rounds is excessive and was not from any member of the Agency. According to an eye witness, The stray bullet might have come from other security operatives (not Lagos State Taskforce)who ran into the mob after we had left” Jejeloye stated”.
Meanwhile, the body was the victim was said to have been removed by his relatives some hours after the incident.
Vanguad