The Lagos State Government said yesterday that
the 72 people ‘deported’ to Onitsha, Anambra State last week
constituted a nuisance. Controversy has been trailing the government’s
action.
Fielding questions from
newsmen after the state Security Council meeting chaired by Governor
Babatunde Fashola (SAN), the Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Umaru
Manko, said the state government only rehabilitated and resettled the
people.
The CP said: “What happened was that the state did
rehabilitation and resettlement of the citizens from other states that
came into the state and turned into destitute. After the state
government had reformed them.
“After that, they indicated their
interest of going back to their hometowns to be resettled. That was what
happened. There wasn’t any deportation”.
On security in the state, CP Manko reassured the residents that the operatives are on top of their job.
According to him, “the residents should go about their lawful
businesses. Of course, everyone knows that the Eid-il-fitri is around
the corner, we have done everything necessary to ensure that the
festival is observed peacefully. All the security agencies in the state
have done their homework to ensure that residents of Lagos have
hitch-free festival”.
While urging cart pushers to relocate or face
the wrath of the law, Manko said the state government will henceforth
prosecute illegal cart pushers in the state.
“We all know that the
Lagos State Traffic Law 2012 outlawed their service from the highways.
We are going to start enforcing that law from today.
“Our officers
would be mandated to start arresting the cart pushers. And this is
information for them to keep off the street of Lagos state,” he noted.
Source: Sun
