Law enforcement agency arrests more than 5000 traders in three months

The relative peace and free flow of movement presently being experienced at Oshodi has not been an easy task, says Maigeire Danjuma, the Marshal of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) team of the Lagos State ministry of environment.

In an exclusive interview with NEXT on Monday, Mr. Danjuma (Rtd) revealed that a combined team of police, army and more than a battalion of KAI officers had kept hoodlums and illegal traders from returning to Oshodi.

NEXT: What has KAI been doing in the last three months?

Mr Danjuma: We have been doing what the law established us to do, which is to ensure that Lagos State is free of environmental nuisances. We started with Oshodi and we moved to other areas in Lagos, clearing illegal street traders and arresting defaulters.

NEXT: How many illegal traders have you arrested in the last three months?

Mr Danjuma: We have arrested more than 5000 illegal traders in the last three months. Some of them were caught trying to return to the areas we have cleared, while others were caught hawking on the bridge. Some who were trading on drainages and foot paths were also among those arrested. We have a court and we ensure that they go through the court before they are fined.

NEXT: Oshodi is enjoying relative tranquillity; people and vehicles are moving freely at Oshodi. How have you been able to maintain the peace in this once notorious part of town?

Mr Danjuma: Unknown to many people, illegal traders and street urchins started creeping back into Oshodi. They start by hawking their wares while standing. Immediately I noticed that they have started coming back, I wasted no time in changing the Commander in charge of Oshodi.

He was replaced and I moved in more than a battalion of officers to the place. These officers run two shifts, morning and night. We also have the assistance of the Police and the Nigeria Army.

Their armoured tank is still there to keep surveillance day and night. Also with the street lights at night, the pick pockets and the hoodlums do not have a place to hide anymore.

NEXT: There have been complaints from many traders that your officers raid and extort money from them, what do you have to say about this?

Mr Danjuma: I will be very willing to listen to any trader or person who our officers have arrested without any cause. I know that we have bad eggs among us but I do not hesitate to fire them if they misbehaved. I have the power to dismiss any of the bad eggs summarily.

And in order to reduce such thing from happening, the governor has approved that from next year, KAI officers will begin overseas training that will give them the exposure and training to do this work efficiently and professionally.

NEXT. Early this year, some of your officers were attacked by traders at Ikorodu, some were beaten up and hospitalised. Are your batons enough for your job?

Mr Danjuma: KAI is a paramilitary outfit, and we are not at war with any trader. Our job is to keep environmental nuisances away in Lagos State. There is no doubt that we face a lot of attacks from those we are supposed to keep at bay. But we do not need arms and ammunition for our job.

Intelligence, dialogue and proper monitoring and surveillance of the areas are the tactics we have employed to win our battle. Also with the backup we get from the Police and the Army, we are ready for any operation. We used to have just 600 officers in KAI but now the governor has approved the recruitment of 1000 officers, so we have more hands now. It will be a big celebration in January when we will celebrate one year of Oshodi being free of environmental nuisances.