Agency Reporter
Special Offences Mobile Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday jailed a street trader, Matthew John, 27, for assaulting a Neighbourhood Safety Corps official, Mr Alape Solomon and biting off his lips during a clean-up enforcement exercise in Victoria Island.
The accused person, who was arraigned before Magistrate Israel Adelakun on a three-count charge of conduct likely to cause breach of peace, obstruction of an officer and assault, was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment with a fine of N100,000.
The Magistrate ruled that the offences were punishable under Sections 168 (1)(d), (117(1), (174)(b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
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The accused person was apprehended for alleged Illegal street trading along Eletu Ogabi Street in Victoria Island, and also resisted arrest.
In the ensuing melee, he allegedly held on to the head of one of the officers who accosted him and sank his teeth into the officer’s lips severing a sizeable chunk of flesh.
The enforcement officer, who bled profusely from the upper and lower lips, was rushed to the Lagos General Hospital where the wound was treated before he was discharged.
Chairman of the Special Commitee, Mr. Tunji Bello described the action of the trader as barbaric and disheartening.
He expressed the hope that the conviction would serve as a deterence to people nursing such acts in future.
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