Hoodlums Bathe Task Force Official With Acid

An official of the Lagos State Taskforce Environmental and Special Offences (enforcement) Unit, Mr. Akude Silas, is in critical condition at a public hospital after suspected hoodlums bathed him with acid.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim was among a team of officials deployed in the Oshodi Oke area to enforce traffic rules.

A commercial bus, filled with suspected hoodlums, was said to have suddenly halted at a junction where the victim was.

One of the men was alleged to have poured the acid on his face, while the vehicle immediately sped off from the area.

A task force official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident happened around 4pm on Friday.

He said, “We all moved out as a team and when we got to Oshodi, we moved to different spots to monitor traffic, arrested road traders and enforced the traffic law.

“We had divided ourselves into two that day. A group monitored Oshodi Isale, while the other group went to Oshodi Oke.

“Around 4pm, a Volkswagen bus on motion suddenly stopped in front of Silas, and somebody in the bus poured the acid on him. The bus drove off immediately.”

Asked what could have led to the attack, the source said it might not be unconnected with the strict enforcement of the traffic rules.

He said the victim might have been targeted by one of those he had caught for sanction in the past.

Our correspondent learnt that colleagues of the victim rushed him to the Lagos State Emergency Centre in the Tollgate area before he was transferred to the Emergency Ward of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

The Public Relations Officer for the task force, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the incident, adding that investigations were on to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack and the motive of the suspects.

He said, “Silas is currently receiving treatment at the Emergency Ward in LASUTH. We are doing our best to get to the root of the attack and we will surely bring the perpetrators to book.”

The Chairman of the task force, SP Olubukola Abe, and some other management staff of the agency were said to have visited the victim at the hospital.

Abe, who noted that task force officials were being attacked on a regular basis, appealed to members of the public to cooperate with officials of government doing their duties.

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SOURCE: PUNCH

 

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