Lagos: Task Force arrests illegal occupants of abandoned buildings

The on-going exercise by operatives of the Lagos State Special Task Force on Environmental and other Related Offences to rid Lagos of miscreants and other criminal elements, has led to the arrest of illegal occupants of abandoned buildings, hemp smokers and hoodlums suspected to have been terrorising some areas in the state. Those arrested were three female teenagers and 90 adult males.

They were arrested in Oshodi, Agege, Ojuelegba and Iju-Ishaga areas.

At least 93 suspects, including 23 teenagers, in Lagos, particularly at the popular Oshodi area of the State were arrested.

It will be recalled that the same Task Force had arrested a total of 50 suspects in the area in the past weeks.

Parading the suspects at its Secretariat in Alausa, Chairman of the Task Force, Superintendent of Police, SUPOL, Hakeem Adedeji, who led the operation, said the exercise was carried in the early hours of the day. He said the Task Force acted on the order of the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who expressed concern over the spate of criminal activities in some parts of the state, especially Oshodi and certain identified areas.

He confirmed that though, no weapon was found on the suspects, there were strong indications that they are part of miscreants who had been terrorising the area. He added that they were identified as such by some tattoos on their arms, indicating they belong to a particular sect or cult.

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According to Adedeji: “We moved into the area as early as 1a.m., an operation which I led. We found the suspects under the bridge at Oshodi in such odd hours walking aimlessly. Some were also caught smoking Indian hemp popularly called Marijuana.

“You can see many of the arrested suspects have tattoos on their bodies. Many are chain smokers. Some are robbers who terrorise Oshodi residents and pedestrians.

“The age of the suspects ranges from 11 to 19 years and most of them are from other states of the federation. For those who are under-age, we cannot arraign them because the law does not permit us, while the others will be prosecuted by the Magistrate court.

He added that the arrested miscreants would be screened while the under-age would be referred to the juvenile homes for rehabilitation, adding that most of the ‘young miscreants’ who are between ages 12 and 15 are from broken homes.