LAGOS — As part of the efforts to boost security in Lagos, no fewer than 118 suspected hoodlums were, yesterday, arrested by the state Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) unit in Oshodi motor parks and its enviroment.
Information gathered that the hoodlums, who were unleashing mayhem in the area, were arrested by the team which stormed the area at 1:00am.
Sources said that the hoodlums robbed commuters of their valuables at the early hours of yesterday.
It was further learnt that over 160 hoodlums were initially arrested after the exercise.
However, after a screening at the taskforce office in Alausa, Ikeja, 118 suspected hoodlums were found wanting. The detained hoodlums include 106 males and 12 females.
Confirming the arrest, the chairman of the Taskforce, Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. Bayo Sulaiman, said that the raid at Oshodi began around 1am and that the exercise lasted for an hour.
He said: “We decided to raid Oshodi after a long time due to series of complaint about upsurge in petty criminal activities in the area.”
Sulaimon said suspected hoodlums were arrested in various dark spots in Oshodi, including under the bridge, abandoned properties, among others.
He said “We have been receiving text messages and people calling us that they are being harrassed by hoodlums at Oshodi. We realised that we have to go after them again,” he said.
The chairman lamented that due to incessant raid of hoodlums in Oshodi in the past, activities of hoodlums abated, adding as a result of little break giving, they came back to the area thinking that the taskforce was no longer watching.