Task force denies involvement in Ijora/Apapa mayhem
The presidential task team on decongestion of Apapa ports has denied involvement in the mayhem which occurred last Thursday at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Lillypond Truck Transit Park at Ijora, Lagos State. It would be recalled that the incident led to the death of a truck driver with other drivers filing out in protest […]
The presidential task team on decongestion of Apapa ports has denied involvement in the mayhem which occurred last Thursday at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Lillypond Truck Transit Park at Ijora, Lagos State.
It would be recalled that the incident led to the death of a truck driver with other drivers filing out in protest against the killing. The drivers blamed the task force for the mayhem.
However, Executive Vice- Chairman of the Task Force, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, condemned the violence even as he distanced the team from it.
“We condemn, in strong terms, the ensuing violence which was reportedly escalated by some unscrupulous individuals and miscreants opposed to the operations of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement Unit) task force in the area,” Opeifa said in a statement yesterday.
He said the task force is “deeply saddened by the violence and commiserates with the family of the deceased and other victims of the unfortunate incident.
“But it is important to state categorically that the presidential task team was not involved in the unfortunate incident. We therefore call on those spreading such claims to desist”.
The Task Force empathised with the management and staff of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) whose vehicles and offices were attacked or destroyed in the mayhem while lauding the swift intervention of the police, Lagos command, and the Lagos State Task force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement Unit) task force for quickly bringing the situation under control.
He said the NPA management deserved commendation for not allowing the situation to adversely affect Ports operations.