The Lagos State Government, LASG, has reacted to the incident that saw a street hawker, who was evading arrest by Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI, officials knocked down by an articulated vehicle at Maryland Bus Stop on Wednesday.
DAILY POST recalls that no sooner than the incident occurred, suspected hoodlums pounced on the mass transit vehicles to vent their anger over the death of the street hawker.
About 14 buses belonging to Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, were vandalized in the process.
But reacting to the incident on Thursday, LASG, clarified the misconception surrounding the unfortunate incident.
The LASG said the street hawker was not hit by a BRT bus.
This was made known via a statement signed the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde.
The statement said contrary to the information being circulated in the social media that the street hawker was hit by a BRT bus, it was a truck belonging to a soft drink company that unfortunately hit the boy.
“It wasn’t any of our buses that killed him (hawker), it was a soft drink company truck that unfortunately crushed the boy while he was trying to escape from KAI officers who were on patrol trying to rid the street of street hawkers and traders.
“But hoodlums now took advantage of that to start destroying government assets, including several of the brand new BRT buses,” he said.
Ayorinde said it took the intervention of a team from the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, to quell the riotous scene caused by the hoodlums before the corpse of the boy was taken to the morgue at the General Hospital, Ikeja.
“At least three hoodlums alleged to have been part of the mob that destroyed the BRT buses have been arrested and the law would take its full course.
“The Lagos State Government would like to use this opportunity to further reiterate that it would not relent in ridding the state of illegality, street trading and hawking.
“Section one of the Lagos State Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law 2003, restricts street trading and hawking in the metropolis, while Sections Seven and Eight of the same law gives jurisdiction and power to the Special Court to order the seizure and public auction of items impounded from street traders,” the Commissioner reinstated.
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