The Lagos State Task Force Unit has said it would prosecute the 15 culprits arrested in the Oyingbo area of the state for illegal trading activities.
The head, Public Affairs Unit of the Task Force, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, said that the culprits were arrested during an enforcement operation to dislodge over 1, 500 trespassers at the popular market Oyingbo market.
“In continuation of the clampdown on all illegal street trading activities across the State, the Lagos State Task Force is set to prosecute 15 illegal traders arrested during an enforcement operation.
“The operation dislodged over 1, 500 trespassers in Oyingbo earlier today.
“The Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, led the enforcement team in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC).
“He said the illegal traders had persisted, despite several warnings, in displaying and selling wares on major roads, medians, road-setbacks, drainage alignments as well as railway tracks around the entire Oyingbo market area,’’ he said in a statement.
Taofiq said the action of the traders impeded the free flow of traffic along the axis, insisting that Lagos State Government would no longer tolerate illegal activities that violate the environmental laws of the state.
According to the chairman, Section (1) of the Lagos State Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law of 2003 prohibits both buyers and sellers from engaging in business activities at an unauthorised place.
“The penalty for engaging in illegal street trading is a fine of N90,000 or six-month jail term for anyone found guilty of contravening the law.
“The enforcement operation was also meant to protect lives of those illegal traders from unforeseen circumstances such as accident from reckless private/commercial drivers and also to decongest traffic gridlock along that axis,” he said.
He warned those engaged in illegal street trading to desist from endangering their lives and operate inside the ‘Oyingbo Ultra-Modern Market’ built by the state government.===NAN
