It would appear the Lagos State Government is making good its threat to implement the total ban on street trading in the city of Lagos.

Early on Monday morning, The Daily Times captured a convoy of no less than seven KAI ‘Green Maria’ vehicles parading the Awolowo Way, Ikeja area, with officials in their (now dreaded) green uniforms looking stern and ready to make trouble in what one of the vendors called ‘applied’ intimidation.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Fatai Owoseni, had sounded it loud and clear earlier in the week, warning 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 at state house, Alausa, explained that the decision to enforce the total ban on street trading was partly to check the activities of such criminals.

“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,” the state police commissioner said, and advanced further reasons for the implementation:

“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 also know the modus operandi of the criminals; now 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 are harmful to people, but there is another lethal angle to government’s apprehension:

“Some of these guys (street traders), including those beggars also carry weapons under their shirt that they can use to harm people.

“So, these things put together, it is going to be a win-win situation if our people avoid patronising street hawkers.”

A way out for hawkers

Instead of daring the law and risking being arrested and imprisoned, CP Owoseni advised the hawkers to form a formidable front, approach the government and ask for the creation of corner shops along the extremely busy streets for them to practice their trade, for several special reasons:

“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.

”It is doable, it is practicable. Help us to keep Lagos safe and civil,” the Commissioner implored the public.