Task Force Official Stabbed, Fingers Chopped Off by Hoodlums in Oshodi

Rampaging commercial bus drivers and motor park touts, yesterday, attacked officials of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force, who stormed Oshodi market to impound buses obstructing other motorists plying the route.In the process, one of the officials identified as Mr. Uzan Rildwan, was stabbed in the head, with two of his fingers chopped off with a knife. When Vanguard arrived the scene at about 1p.m., it was gathered that official of the task force, accompanied by policemen, stormed Oshodi Under Bridge earlier, where six commercial buses said to have been parked at the middle of the road to pick passengers were impounded. An eyewitness, who gave his name as Ismaila Shamsudeen, said: “The drivers parked in the middle of the road, while their conductors called out to passengers. “The smart ones among them sped off on sighting the task force, while others fled, abandoning their vehicles to avoid being arrested. But they did not expect that their vehicles would be impounded. “Before we knew it, the whole place was thrown into chaos, as hoodlums capitalised on the opportunity and started attacking anyone in sight. One of the task force officials was stabbed while another sustained minor injury. At a point, the policemen fired some shots into the air to scare the hoodlums.” When contacted, the Lagos State Task Force Public Affairs Officer, Mr. Adebayo Taofeek, confirmed the attack, stating that the injured official was still receiving treatment at the Ikeja General Hospital. He disclosed that earlier, 24 commercial and private vehicles drivers who contravened traffic laws were arrested and made to pay fines, with 297 motorcycles impounded. He said: “While impounding vehicles that obstructed the free flow of traffic this morning (yesterday), commercial bus drivers and market touts under the Oshodi bridge came out and attacked police and paramilitary officers with broken bottles, cutlasses, wood and other dangerous weapons. “The injured paramilitary officer was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment before he was transferred to General Hospital, Ikeja, for further diagnosis on his head.” Of the 390 miscreants arrested during raids, Taofiq said 43 were screened while 347 were charged to court.