A Special Offences Mobile Court, sitting in the Ikeja Magisterial District on Tuesday 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 3-count charge of conduct likely to cause breach of peace, obstruction of an officer and assault was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment and a fine of N100,000.
The Magistrate ruled that the offences were punishable under sections 168(1)(d), section 117(1), section 174(b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state 2015.
The accused person was apprehended for illegal street trading along Eletu Ogabi Street in Victoria Island and in the process of arresting him, he resisted arrest.
In the ensuing melee, he held on to the head of one of the officers who accosted him and sunk his teeth into the lips severing a sizeable chunk of flesh.
The assaulted enforcement officer who bled profusely from the upper and lower lips was rushed to the Lagos General Hospital where the wound was treated and he had it sutured before he was discharged.
Speaking on the incident, the Chairman of the Special Commitee, Mr. Tunji Bello described the action of the trader as barbaric, noting that such unwholesome action was becoming too rampant in the state.
Bello said it was disheartening that officers employed to safeguard members of the public were being attacked by the same people whose interest they were out to protect.
He expressed hope that the latest conviction would serve as a deterrent to people nursing such acts in future.
