By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
The Lagos State Special Offences Endorsement Unit (Taskforce) has absolved its operatives of being responsible for the enforcement operation that resulted in a commercial vehicle driver setting himself ablaze after the impoundment of his vehicle.
The agency also revealed the identity of the deceased driver as Ayo popularly known as Eru and that of the owner of the bus as Festus Ugbesia.
It would be recalled that Ayo set himself on fire while protesting the seizure of his vehicle by some enforcement officials around Ajao Estate area of the state, resulting to his death.
Consequently, the media space in some quarters have being awashed with reports accusing operatives of the Lagos State Taskforce of being responsible for the encouragement exercise.
While debunking the rrport, Chairman of the Agency CSP Shola Jejeloye described it as false and unfounded.
He stated that operatives of the agency were still on the parade ground preparing for the task of the day while the transport department of the Agency was still sourcing for petrol for their operational vehicles at the Agency Headquarters.
A release by Head Public Relations Unit of the Agency Gbadeyan reads, ” Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Taskforce) has revealed that the commercial driver that set himself ablaze around Ajao Estate axis was one Ayo popularly called Eru and that owner of the vehicle driven by the man was Festus Ugbesia.
The Taskforce, meanwhile, distanced its personnel from the enforcement exercise that led to the driver setting himself ablaze to resist his vehicle being impounded by unidentified security agents in the state.
According to the agency, at the time of the incident, policemen and other paramilitary officers attached to Taskforce were still at the headquarters in Oshodi still sourcing for petrol and other materials needed for their enforcement exercise.
The Chairman of the agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, disclosed this while debunking reports making the rounds that Taskforce officials were responsible for the tragedy that occurred to the driver.
While arguing that the information been disseminated were untrue, Jejeloye on Wednesday, barely 24 hours after the incident, disclosed that investigations and eyewitness account of persons who were present at the scene of the incident categorically revealed that Ayo allegedly poured petrol on himself to scare the security operatives from enforcing the traffic law which he violated.
“After the operatives had left, luck ran out on him and some of the hoodlums presents mistook him for one of the security operatives and set him ablaze”, he added.
The chairman further narrated that the owner of the vehicle, Ugbesia, who had stormed the Taskforce headquarters after arming himself with the false information, later “discovered that our men and officials were still on the parade ground preparing for the task of the day while the transport department of the agency was still sourcing for petrol for their operational vehicles at the agency headquarters”.
