The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Fatai Owoseni, has warned Lagosians against patronising street traders.
According to Owoseni, there have been instances where criminals hide among street traders to steal from unsuspecting citizens.
The commissioner, who spoke with journalists after a meeting between Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and security chiefs on Monday, explained that the decision to enforce the ban on street trading was partly to check the activities of such criminals.
He said, “The law has been there even before the present executive governor came into power, so what we are doing as responsible government and responsible security and law enforcement institutions is to further engage like the Governor did last time on television on the evils of street trading.
“It is not just about stopping the street trading; it also has the security elements. The fellows that are on the roads under the guise that they are selling, some of them are also criminals.
“There are criminals hiding within them to commit some havoc and for people that are also patronising them like the Governor has said, everybody is just thinking this is a new law but it is not. We know the mood of the society and we want to balance our enforcement and that is why we are doing a lot of public enlightenment.”
He added that some of the street traders also sell products that were harmful to people.
“Some of these guys also carry weapons under their shirt that they can use to harm people including those beggars,” he said.
“So, these things put together, it is going to be a win-win situation if our people avoid patronising street hawkers and the hawkers can also form a formidable front and meet the government and ask for the creation of corner shops for them.
“They are on the roads and vehicles can also hit them, so there are lots of dangers involved and that is why we are engaging the people via enlightenment on the dangers involved.”
