Men of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Taskforce, yesterday, raided the Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos, to confiscate and arrest offenders of the Lagos state directive on the ban of public display and sale of pornographic films in the state.

Trouble started when some officials of the enforcement unit in plainclothes made attempts to seize some pornographic films worth thousands of naira and arrest offenders before uniformed officials arrived the market at about 4 p.m. Many of the offenders were caught right in the act of mass-dubbing and selling to customers. While the officials made to arrest the offenders, other traders came to their rescue, thus preventing the apprehended men from leaving with the officials.

Immediately, a mob gathered and attacked the officials. The officials were attacked and forced to take to their heels. One of them was hit with an object on the side of his head which resulted in profuse bleeding. The back-up mobile policemen came right into the market to save the situation. Even at this stage, the traders were still busy throwing bottles, stones and other missiles at the taskforce. The release of tear gas into the air by the mobile policemen did not in anyway deter the traders from further hurling stones at the officials.

Over 20 suspects were arrested by the taskforce. However, only six of them were taken away as others escaped during the melee. Some other officials in plainclothes and mobile policemen equally sustained injuries. Journalists at the scene were not spared the attack. On their way to Alausa, the officer who led the operation, simply addressed as Alhaji, branched to the Divisional Police Headquarters, Ojo, to brief the DPO about their raid on Alaba Market.

He had earlier instructed the driver of the Black Maria conveying the suspects and another driver of a pick-up van to go ahead to Alausa. A mild drama, however, ensued on arriving the station when the DPO, Chief Superintendent of Police, Isaac Ogbogbo, ordered that Alhaji should be detained with the two pick-up vans. He was immediately disarmed by the DPO's men. His offence, P.M.NEWS learnt, was that he had failed to inform the DPO before embarking on that operation.

The chairman of Alaba Market with three other members were seen at the station, accusing the taskforce of wrongdoing. The taskforce's Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Tayo, who was in the team, had to call the taskforce chairman, SUPOL Bayo Sulaiman, to inform him about the latest development. After spending over an hour, there was information the state Commissioner of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo, had instructed that all parties involved should come over to his office at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja.

On getting to the command, all the officers went in to see the commissioner of police, with SUPOL Bayo Sulaiman, while others waited outside. Less than 20 minutes later, they all came out and Alhaji's rifle was immediately returned to him. It was gathered that the DPO was carpeted by Akpoyibo for his action. P.M.NEWS overheard the Alaba Market chairman at the police command blaming the taskforce for the mayhem. His words: “I blame you for what has happened. How can you just come into my market without informing me? I run that place like a government. I have been supporting Fashola's government. Just last week, I did an advert on payment of taxes for the state government.” Source: nigeriafilms.com - Nigeria Films