21 street traders sentenced to 44 months community service in Lagos

The Lagos State Task Force has secured the conviction of 21 individuals arrested for street trading, illegal ticketing, operating unauthorized bus stops, and obstructing public roads.

A mobile court sentenced the offenders—15 men and six women—to a total of 44 months of community service following a coordinated enforcement operation in the Iyana-Iba and Ojo areas of the state.

In a statement on Thursday, the agency’s spokesperson, Raheem Gbadeyan, said the operation targeted traders and transport operators who had turned major roads and pedestrian walkways into makeshift markets and illegal loading points.

“The exercise covered Iyana-Iba and adjoining areas where some traders had returned to display their wares on the newly constructed Lagos-Badagry Expressway, causing obstruction and environmental nuisance,” Gbadeyan said.

He added that all suspects were promptly charged before the mobile court, which found them guilty and sentenced each to two months of community service at the Badagry Correctional Centre.

The seized goods were forfeited to the state government in accordance with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Law of 2017 and the Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018.

Chairman of the Task Force, CSP Adetayo Akerele, warned residents to desist from actions that obstruct traffic or compromise public safety.

“Trading on highways and walkways disrupts traffic movement and inconveniences motorists.

“Anyone involved in street trading, illegal ticketing, or operating unauthorized bus stops will face the full weight of the law,” he cautioned.