… As Army describes Gruesome murder of 2 soldiers by IPOB/ESN, callous, despicable***
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has urged the general public to desist from the harassment and attack of its personnel in the line of duty.
The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Mr Ibrahim Odumboni, gave the warning in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.
Also read: Eid-el-Fitr: Join LAWMA to ensure filth-free festivities, Odumboni begs Lagosians
Odumboni said that the attention of the authority was drawn to an attack on one of its highway workers (sweeper), who was seriously injured with hammer and left with a broken skull, at Isolo Road by an unscrupulous element.
Odumboni said that the victim had been rushed to the hospital for intensive medical care.
According to him, the action of the offender is capable of disrupting the Authority’s ongoing efforts to establish cleaner and healthier environment in the state.
Odumboni, who condemned the act, warned that the attack would not be condoned by the state government.
“One of our highway workers (sweeper) carrying out his lawful duty at Isolo, was attacked with a hammer by a miscreant by name Alao Idris resulting to a broken skull, which required immediate medical attention to salvage the situation.
“This sort of unprovoked attack will not deter us from rendering our services.
“However, we are sounding a note of warning to miscreants determined to undermine our efforts, that the state government will not tolerate these dastard acts, as perpetrators will be brought to book,” he said.
Odumboni said that the incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday when the person was going about his lawful duty of sweeping the street.
He said that Idris had since been arrested and handed over to the police for interrogation and prosecution to serve as a deterrent to others with similar intentions.
Odumboni appealed to the public to treat the highway workers with humanness and refrain from attacking them under whatever guise, stressing that anyone caught in the act would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
He also admonished Lagos residents to shun all forms of indiscriminate waste disposal with negative environmental consequences.
In another development, the Nigerian Army says the gruesome murder of two soldiers by members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network (ESN), is callous and despicable.
The newsmen recall that report of the killing of Audu Linus, a retired Master Warrant Officer and Gloria Matthew, a private solder by IPOB/ESN had surfaced on social media.
The report had it that members of IPOB/ESN claimed responsibility for the murder of the two soldiers, who were said to be travelling to Imo for their traditional marriage before their unfortunate demise.
Army headquarters reacted to the killing via a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Onyechukwu, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Nwachukwu said the soldiers had apparently embarked on the trip to fulfill the traditional rites of conjugating their matrimony as Igbo tradition demanded.
He said it was ironic that one of the soldiers, Pte. Matthew, who hailed from the Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo did not prevail on the sensibility of the dissidents.
According to him, this dastardly act, one too many, clearly portends the deep-seated hate, desperation and lawlessness with which foot soldiers of IPOB/ESN have been unleashing terror on the people.
He said the dissident group had been unleashing terror on Ndigbo, whom they claimed they were on a mission to protect and emancipate, as well as other innocent Nigerians who were resident or transiting the South East.
“This gruesome murder, in which they did not spare even their own child, clearly depicts callousness, impenitence and is indisputable, a brazen act of terrorism perpetrated by IPOB/ESN.
“Though the dissident groups have continued to live in denial while masquerading as unknown gunmen in their criminal violent campaign in the region, the Nigerian army will ensure the perpetrators of this dastardly act unleashed on its personnel do not go unpunished.
“While we deeply condole with the families, relations and close associates of the victims, the Nigerian army has commenced investigation to unmask and bring the criminals to book.
“Members of the public are please enjoined to oblige security agencies actionable information that will lead to the arrest of these criminals,” he said.
