No fewer than 62 suspected miscreants and hoodlums were at the weekend apprehended by operatives of the Lagos State Taskforce during an over-night raid operation.
The suspects were said to have been arrested during the exercise carried out around Oshodi and its environs.
The Chairman of Agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed that the mid-night raid operations was part of on-going efforts aimed at flushing out miscreants and other criminal elements out of Oshodi and the State at large.
Egbeyemi stated that the Agency acted on the directives of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP Edgal Imohimi, who had expressed concern over the spate of criminal activities in some parts of the State, especially around Oshodi and other identified areas such as Mushin, Fadeyi, Agege, Apapa, Lagos Island, Obalende, Oyingbo, Dopemu amongst others.
Disclosing that no weapon was found on the suspects, Egbeyemi however said that there were strong indications that they are part of the criminals who had been terrorising the entire area particularly those attacking motorists on top Oshodi bridge during peak hours.
“We got to the area as early as 2am, it was an eye-sore to have found these miscreants and hoodlums under the bridge at Oshodi in such odd hours walking aimlessly while some were also caught smoking Indian hemp popularly called ‘Marijuana.
Yes many of these arrested miscreants have different tattoos on their arms indicating they belong to a particular sect or cult. While many are chain smokers others robbed residents and pedestrians of their valuables such as phones,wallets and jewelleries both early morning and late night”, the Taskforce boss stressed.
In a release by Adebayo Taofiq, Head, Public Affairs Unit of the Agency, Egbeyemi added that all the suspects had been screened while the under-age ones were referred to the juvenile homes for rehabilitation, adding that most of these ‘young miscreant’ who are between 12 to 17 years are products of broken homes.
The Taskforce boss hinted that after the completions of all the on-going projects by the government around Oshodi, there would no longer be any hideouts for criminals to unleash terror on innocent members of the public again.
He reaffirmed that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was committed to protecting lives and properties in order to attract more investors and make life easy for the residents.
While appealing to parents to always consider their children as the ‘receiving end’ in any family disputes, he however confirmed that all those arrested had been charged to court on the directive of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police Edgal Imohimi.
One of the arrested miscreant Gani Yusuf (35yrs) said he paid N100 everyday to their ring leader before he could be given a little space to sleep under the Oshodi bridge.
Another suspect Gbenga Ololade (38yrs) said he came from Ibadan and he has been sleeping under Oshodi bridge in the last 3 years.
Gbenga Ololade claimed that he was initiated to a cult with a particular tattoo on his face by their group leader under the bridge.
Meanwhile, 18 arrested Street traders around ‘Trade Fair’ complex who were initially released based on a written ‘under-taken’ with the Agency not to go back to be selling at an unauthorised places around the ‘Trade Fair’ complex have been re-arrested and charged to court.
These 18 arrested Street trader after their release by the Agency went back to be displaying and selling their wares at same illegal spots around the ‘Trade Fair’ complex.
After their arraignment at the court, five of them were asked to pay a fine of N5000 each to the government while the remaining 13 females were committed to ’48 hours Community Service’ each as a punishment by the court.
