The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit, popularly known as the task force, on Monday clampdown on traders displaying goods on the Oshodi railway track and Apongbon Bridge to clear the road for trains.

The agency stormed the market around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, but no arrest was made during the exercise.

The activities of the traders were distorted as the task force officials seized their goods.

The task force spokesperson, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, explained that the enforcement was carried out following the directive of the state government that traders should stop buying and selling activities on railways and major streets in Lagos.

While addressing the traders, the chairman of the state task force, Shola Jejeloye, said eviction notices had been sent severally to traders at Fagba, Pen Cinema and Isokoko, but they ignored the warnings.

The agency’s boss stated that they ought to arrest both the buyers and sellers involved in the transaction, but to “avoid double jeopardy”, they seized only the goods found on the Oshodi rail tracks.

Mr Jejeloye urged the market leaders to come to the agency’s headquarters for a round table engagement to foster a permanent solution to end the menace.

He said the raid at Apongbon Bridge was carried out to forestall any environmental mishaps that could reoccur and lead to loss of lives and properties.

The chairman appealed to all traders to relocate their activities to the complex provided by the state government and desist from carrying out activities that are counterproductive to the state.