The Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, has ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the incident reported in viral audio, in which a school proprietress, Mrs. Olayemi Sylva, alleged that officials of the State’s Environmental Task Force manhandled her.
The governor’s directive was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa.
The statement was titled, ‘Viral audio: Makinde orders full probe of environmental Task Force, school proprietress brawl in Ibadan’.
The statement read in part, “The attention of His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, has been drawn to the contents of viral audio credited to a school proprietress, Mrs. Olayemi Sylva.
“The governor has since directed the state’s Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Idowu Oyeleke, to commence full and immediate investigations into the matter and apportion blame accordingly.
“Governor Makinde has also given the commitment that no one found guilty of infractions in the matter would be spared at the end of the day and that the matter would not be swept under the carpet.”
The statement also quoted Oyeleke as saying that his office had taken up the governor’s directives while keeping in touch with the woman and her family members.
He said, “In line with the directives of the governor, I have immediately established contact with the affected woman and when it became clear that she had gone for medical checks, I visited her and made an initial deposit to take care of her medical bill.
“I have also been briefed by the Chairman of the Task Force, ACP Francis Ojomo, whose men have been striving hard to rid the city of Ibadan and Oyo state of dirt and refuse. We are fully cooperating on this matter.
“As a Ministry, we have taken full responsibility for the issue and we plan to conduct a full-scale investigation as directed by the Governor.
“We want it to be on record that while the government of Oyo State will not empower any group or agency to brutalise any of its residents, it will also not permit any resident to disobey the law and violate laid down regulations.
“I want to assure everyone that the Ministry of Environment and the Task Force on Environment will get to the roots of this incident and punish whoever is on the wrong side of the law.”
In the said audio, Mrs. Sylva alleged that she visited the headquarters of the Task Force in order to secure the release of one of her students who was arrested for illegal dumping of waste within Ibadan metropolis.
She revealed that things turned awry after her encounter with some of the Taskforce men, who allegedly accused her of obstructing their work and ordered her arrested.
She narrated that a scuffle allegedly ensued in the process of taking her to the police station.
