A Magistrate Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced three individuals for assaulting officials of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), during a routine environmental enforcement exercise.
The defendants—Farouk Olori (25), Ogundare Oluwatobiloba (27), and Taoreed Alimi (20)—were arraigned before Magistrate Ariyo of the Special Offences Court on a three-count charge bordering on breach of peace, obstruction of lawful duty, and assault under the Lagos State Criminal Laws, 2015. The court delivered its ruling after reviewing the evidence presented.
According to the Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Major Olaniyi Cole (retd.), the incident occurred during an enforcement operation along Olowu Street in the Ipodo area, where officials moved to clear illegal trading activities that had been obstructing traffic and pedestrian movement. He said abatement notices had earlier been issued but were ignored.
Cole explained that the suspects allegedly attacked enforcement officers during the operation, leading to the arrest of the three defendants. One officer sustained injuries in the incident and received medical treatment.
Delivering judgment, the magistrate sentenced two of the defendants to one week in custody with an option of community service, while the third defendant received a one-year prison term. Cole described the ruling as a deterrent and urged residents to comply with environmental laws, warning against trading on road setbacks and other restricted areas.
