LAWMA sweeper attacked, injured as agency warns against harassment of personnel

Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has warned that the state government would henceforth, not condone any attack on its personnel by hoodlums.

The warning came in the wake of an attack on a highway worker (sweeper), who was seriously injured with hammer and left with a broken skull, at Isolo Road, Isolo.

The victim was said to have been rushed to hospital for intensive medical care. 

Speaking on the incident, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, condemned the act and warned that such attack would not be condoned by the state government any more.

Odumboni said: “One of our highway workers (sweeper) carrying out his lawful duty at Isolo, was attacked with a hammer by a miscreant by name Alao Idris resulting to a broken skull, which required immediate medical attention to salvage the situation.

“This sort of unprovoked attacks will not deter us from rendering our services. However, we are sounding a note of warning to miscreants determined to undermine our efforts, that the state government will not tolerate these dastard acts, as perpetrators will be brought to book.”

The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday when the personnel was going about his lawful duty of sweeping the street.

Idris has since been arrested and handed over to the police for interrogation and prosecution to serve as deterrent to others with similar intentions. 

“LAWMA, hereby reiterates its appeal to the public, to treat the highway workers with humane and refrain from attacking them under whatever guise, as anyone caught doing so will be made to face the full wrath of the law,” the LAWMA boss added. 

Odumboni appealed to residents to support and ensure that essential service providers like LAWMA were allowed to discharge their responsibilities in the state, without any fear of harassment, molestation, and attack, adding that establishing cleanliness in the state was a collective responsibility, requiring all hands to be on deck.

He also admonished the populace to shun all forms of indiscriminate waste disposal, which had attendant negative environmental consequences, such as the blockage of drainage channels, especially as the rainy season drew near.

For contacts with LAWMA, the Public is enjoined to call the following LAWMA’S tool-free line: 07080601020 and 617.