BY BOSE ADELAJA
DO you know that in some parts of Lagos, one can cross an express road at will as long as you have ‘kola’of as little as N100 in your pocket?

No thanks to some officials of law enforcement agencies, especially the Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI, brigade saddled with the responsibilities of enforcing the Environmental Sanitation Law of Lagos State, turning this popular disobedience by some citizens to quick way of making money.

In case you are not aware, a visit to Cele Okota and Ketu areas of Lagos will convince you about the escapades of some KAI officials in this regard. On daily basis, a team of KAI brigade is seen with a Black Maria parked few metres away from the pedestrian bridges as the officials move to and from the tarmac looking for victims.

A pedestrian bridge in Lagos…it’s N100 for disobedience

In most cases, victims who refuse arrest are whisked into the vehicle and detained for hours before taken to KAI office where their fate is determined.

On the other hand, those who ‘plead guilty’ are to part with amounts as little as N100 depending on the officials involved.

Vanguard gathered that victims who satisfy such requirement are assisted to cross the remaining part of the expressway as oncoming vehicles are flagged down by these officials while those who do not meet up, are whisked into the patrol vehicles to meet some officials of the brigade, for penalties from N2000 and above.

Investigations reveal that the brigade officials usually generate huge amount of money which they share among themselves depending on their rank and resumption time at the bus-stops. Although KAI Marshal General Danjuma Meigeri, has said great penalty awaits erring officials but investigations revealed that many of them have perfected the means of keeping their loot without being caught by higher authorities.

A source at Ojota told Vanguard that the loot is either hidden in the officials’ beret or kept with street urchins popularly called area boys or some of the traders at the bus-stops.

Victims’ account: A first time visitor to Lagos, Alhaji Abdulkareem Azees, narrated his ordeal to Vanguard thus: “During the Dana air crash at Iju-Ishaga area, I came to Lagos from Ile-Ife, Osun State, in search of my children who live at Iju-Ishaga. Unfortunately I was detained by KAI officials as soon as I arrived Ojota after which one of them accompanied me to a new generation bank close by where I withdrew a sum of N2000 to regain my freedom.”

Another victim, Tolulope Aralamo, said he no longer uses the pedestrian bridge in order to save time. He said: “I live at Ketu but no longer use the pedestrian bridge since I have understood their language which is parting with a sum of N100.”

A vendor at Cele expressway, Okota area said: “KAI officials only visit the bus-stop on few occasions and erring pedestrians are made to part with N200 on such occasions. KAI officials have adopted the ‘pay and go’ method. You need not entertain fear if you can meet their requirement.”

It’s outright dismissal—Danjuma:  Ïn a swift reaction, KAI Marshal General, Danjuma Meigeri, told Vanguard that any officer found wanting will be dismissed. He said: “In as much as the State government has frowned at corruption in every sector, who am I to condone it? I am yet to get an official report about it but I am assuring you that I shall not spare anybody found guilty of corruption.

“I have always told people, don’t spare KAI officials regardless of the rank, if any of them demands for bribe, all you need do is to look at his name tag and report to my office and he or she will be dismissed outrightly. I am not happy to hear this, if our dear governor is fighting corruption, how much more I, a retired army officer, the offence attracts outright dismissal.”