28th August, 2017
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, Mr. 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 Wednesday, 15 August, 2017.
Alaba disclosed further that during the enforcement operations, 95 motorcycles plying restricted routes around Berger area were impounded and taken to the office.
“It was after we got to our office and re-counted those impounded motorcycles that we discovered one was missing and after a thorough investigations it was discovered that one Mr. Olajide Felix a paramilitary officer (Man ‘O’ War) attached with Agency stole the missing motorcycle”
Alaba noted that the Lagos State Government had been paying huge allowances as at when due to every members of the Agency’s paramilitary officers to cater for their needs and to equally deprive them of indulging in criminal acts.
He confirmed that the Agency just concluded a 3-Day Training Workshop, 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.
He warned other paramilitary officers not to engage in criminal activities.
He said after he was briefed about the incident, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police Mr. Fatai Owoseni directed that the suspect be immediately prosecuted.
Mr. Olajide Felix a paramilitary officer (Man ‘O’ War ) attached to the Agency since 2009 confessed in a statement he wrote after his arrest that he stole the impounded motorcycle and that he had been using it personally since then.
“Yes, I stole a motorcycle (Boxer Bajaj) with registration No AYE 441 QC out of 95 motorcycles impounded during an enforcement operations at Berger and I have been using it for commercial purposes before I was arrested with it,” he said.
Felix, 31, who hailed from ‘Oro’ in Kwara State said it was the devil who pushed him as he had never engaged in criminal activities since he was born.
He, however, pleaded for leniency and promised never to indulge in any criminality again if pardoned.
Meanwhile Magistrate Lateef Owolabi of the Lagos State Mobile Court in Oshodi granted the accused a bail conditions with two sureties after he pleaded ‘Guilty’ to the one count charged 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 levied against him.
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.