The Lagos State Task Force has confirmed the conviction of 21 individuals arrested for offences including street trading, illegal bus stop operations, unauthorised ticketing, and obstruction of public roads.

According to the agency, the offenders received a combined sentence of 44 months of community service handed down by a mobile court after a coordinated enforcement operation in the Iyana-Iba and Ojo areas of Lagos.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Task Force spokesperson, Raheem Gbadeyan, explained that the operation targeted traders and transport operators who had converted major roads and pedestrian paths into makeshift markets and loading zones.

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He revealed that 15 men and six women were arrested during the exercise, and the goods displayed along the roads were seized by the authorities.

“The operation covered Iyana-Iba and adjoining areas, where some recalcitrant traders had returned to display their wares on the newly constructed Lagos-Badagry Expressway, causing obstruction and environmental nuisance,” Gbadeyan stated.

He added that the apprehended suspects were immediately arraigned before a mobile court, which found them guilty and sentenced each to two months of community service at the Badagry Correctional Centre.

All confiscated goods, he noted, were forfeited to the state government in accordance with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Laws of 2017 and the Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, CSP Adetayo Akerele, warned residents to refrain from actions that impede traffic flow or threaten public safety.

“Trading on highways and walkways disrupts traffic movement and increases travel time for innocent motorists,” he said.

“Those engaged in street trading, illegal ticketing, or operating unauthorized bus stops must desist or face the full weight of the law,” he added.