Mayhem was let loose as a large number of the Federal Taskforce officials beat up officials of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment who arrested a motorist.
The Lagos taskforce officials had arrested a Sienna Space bus vehicle plying the BRT lane around Ketu area and were taking the vehicle toAlausa through the tollgate when the incident occurred.
The Sienna driver, with Lagos taskforce officials, on getting to the tollgate quickly veered into the Federal Taskforce premises.
In the process of trying to get the vehicle back, the Federal Taskforce officials mobilised and attacked the police with planks, bottles and inflicted injuries on the policemen.
A call was put across to the Lagos taskforce office and a reinforcement of policemen armed with guns stormed the Federal Taskforce office with a Black Maria van.
The Federal Taskforce officials attacked the team led by Chairman of the Taskforce, Bayo Sulaiman, a Chief Superintendent of Police with bottles and stones.
The taskforce officials released tear gas which dispersed the rampaging Federal Taskforce men.
Over 180 of them were arrested and taken to Alausa in a Black Maria van. One of the Federal Taskforce men fainted and was rushed to LASUTH for treatment.
According to Sulaiman, the Federal Taskforce attacked his men with offensive weapons, saying that there was no way an illegal taskforce could take over the function of the police.
“They beat up our men and held our men hostage. We will not allow them to take over our function and we arrested over 100 of them. If we allow this to go unchecked, it will be worse next time,” he said.
One of the injured police officers said he fell down as they started beating him and showed our reporter the injury he sustained.
The driver of the Sienna Space bus, Timothy Uko from Delta State, said he never knew any of the Federal Taskforce officials, but that he decided to park close to their office in order not to create traffic snarl, to beg the policemen who arrested him.
He is being detained at the taskforce office and will be arraigned in court with others.
Source: PMNews