200 Arrested As Police, Federal Taskforce Clash In Lagos

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

Over 200 men of the Federal Taskforce have been arrested at Tollgate area of Lagos, Nigeria as the taskforce clashed with officers of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit.

Some of the federal taskforce officers arrested

Trouble started when some members of the federal taskforce officials stopped officers of the Lagos Taskforce after they arrested a Sienna Space bus on BRT lane at Ketu areas. The federal taskforce officials, known Federal Road Committee Surveillance and Action Against Road Abuse (FERCSALA) had beaten up the taskforce officials after they were told to release the offender.

Driver of the Sienna space bus impounded, while he was being taken to taskforce officer through the along the tollgate swerve 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 beat up the few officers, inflicting injuries on them.

A call was put across to the taskforce office and a reinforcement of policemen armed with guns and in several vehicles stormed the Federal Taskforce office with two Black Maria trucks.

The FERCSALA officials were said to have attacked the team led by Chairman of the Taskforce, Bayo Sulaiman, Chief Superintendent of Police with bottles and stones.

The taskforce officials released tear gas to disperse the rampaging FERCSALA officials as over 200 of them were arrested and taken to Alausa the Black Maria trucks.

In the process of hauling bottles at the police, one of the bottles hit passers-by, sending him into pool of blood and was quickly administered first aid treatment.

According to Sulaiman, the federal taskforce attacked his men with dangerous 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 close to 100 of them. If we allow this to go unchecked, it will be worse next time,” he said.

He said his men were attacked with bottles as one of them was beaten with plank, with serious injuries inflicted on his body while other officers were also wounded.

One of the injured police officers said he fell down as they started beaten him and showed our reporter the injury he sustained.