The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Task Force) has arraigned a paramilitary officer (Man ‘O’ War) for stealing a motorcycle out of those impounded by the Agency.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Wilson Alaba, who represented the Chairman of the Agency, disclosed that the paramilitary officer was a member of the enforcement team who operated and impounded motorcycles plying restricted routes around Berger area on August 15, 2017.
Alaba disclosed further that during the enforcement operations, 95 motorcycles plying restricted routes around Berger area were impounded and taken to the Agency’s office.
He added: “It was after we got to our office and re-counted those impounded motorcycles that we discovered one was missing and after thorough investigation, it was discovered that one Mr. Olajide Felix, a paramilitary officer (Man ‘O’ War) attached to the Agency stole the missing motorcycle.”
Alaba noted that the Lagos State Government has been paying huge allowances as at when due to every member of the Agency’s paramilitary outfit to cater for their needs and to equally prevent them from indulging in criminal acts.
He confirmed that the Agency had a three-day training, tagged: “Work Ethics and Attitudinal Change For Law Enforcement and Field Officers,” for all paramilitary officers in July 2017 as approved by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
The representative of the Chairman of the Agency, who warned other paramilitary officers not to engage in criminal activities, however, stated after he was well briefed about the incident, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, directed that the suspect be immediately prosecuted.
Felix, attached to the Agency since 2009, confessed in a statement he wrote after his arrest that he stole the impounded motorcycle and that he has been using it personally since then.
He said: “Yes, I stole a motorcycle (Boxer Bajaj) with registration No AYE 441 QC out of 95 motorcycles impounded during an enforcement operation at Berger and I have been using it for commercial purposes before I was arrested with it.”
Felix, 31, who hails from Oro in Kwara State, said it was the devil that pushed him as he has never engaged in criminal activities since he was born.
He pleaded for leniency and promised never to indulge in any criminality again if pardoned.
Meanwhile Magistrate Lateef Owolabi of the Lagos State Mobile Court at Oshodi granted the accused bail in the sum of N30,000 with two sureties after he pleaded guilty to the one count charge of “Conduct in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by stealing an impounded Boxer (Bajaj) motorcycle and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 168 (1)(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015” leveled against him.
Owolabi, who adjourned the case till August 30, 2017, said the sureties must be blood relations of the accused, with a proof of evidence of three years tax payment.
The prosecuting counsel, Olumide Ajibola, disclosed that the charge sheet was read in Yoruba language as requested by the accused for proper understanding of the offence he committed.