Lagos State government has arraigned 10 suspects before an Oshodi Magistrate’s court on a one-count charge bordering on obstruction and abetting street and highway trading.

The suspects were arrested by Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) popularly known as KAI for allegedly obstructing the arrest of street traders along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The Guardian learnt that the suspects were staff members of Capital Oil situated along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

They are Emmanuel Chuks, 48, Wasiu Ajape, 31, Oliver Okonkwo,63, Usman Kolawole, 50, Chinedu Okeke,42, Vivian Aquocha, 30, Prista Mary, 38, Lookman Busari, 52, Adekunle Adefemi, 50, Justina Anya, 49, Azaram Amarachi, 30, Maureen Nwafor, 35, Ahmed Ahmid, 30, and Doria Ibeh, 42.

Following their arraignment and plea, the court granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 respectively with conditions to provide civil servants as sureties in like sum and adjourned till Friday, September 8.

The operatives claimed that the suspects attacked its officials and destroyed branded operational vehicles of the agency, while discharging their lawful duties.

Corps Marshal of the Agency, Gbemisola Akinpelu, said: “Our operatives on a routine raid of flash points for street and highway discovered a horde of street traders on the setbacks of Capital Oil, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and in the course of effecting arrests of the street traders, some staff of the filling station harbouring these traders attacked us, thereby causing damage to our operational vehicles, but we ensured that we arrested 10 members of staff involved.”

Akinpelu warned private, public and commercial residences to desist from harbouring street traders and attacking the Agency’s operatives.

She emphasised that such heinous acts attract severe punishment, which includes imprisonment.