Taskforce raid blackspots, nab 33 suspects in Lagos

No fewer than 33 suspected hoodlums were arrested by the Lagos State Taskforce during a raid of blackspots at Oshodi, Mafoluku, and Airport Road in Lagos on Sunday.

Director, Press and Public Affairs, Lagos State Taskforce, Mr Gbadeyan Abdulraheeem, said the agency carried out an intense raid on areas said to be criminals’ hideouts after operations.

The task force chairman, CSP Shola Jejeloye, who led the raid on Sunday morning, led the team to the blackspots based on credible intelligence.

“We carry out raids like these regularly in order to rid the streets of criminal elements who make use of these dark spots as a safe haven. We have rounded up 33 suspects who will be profiled and if found to be of questionable character, will be charged to court accordingly,” he said.

Jejeloye explained that these men of the underworld use these locations as a take-off point to rob, pickpockets of unsuspecting pedestrians and sometimes intimidate them in order to dispose of their hard-earned valuables.

“We are going to put an end to these acts by ensuring that these policing tactics are utilised every now and then to achieve adequate safety and security in line with the THEMES agenda of the State Government,” he said.

Also, the Lagos State Taskforce carried out a raid of recalcitrant motorcycle riders popularly called Okada operators at Amuwo Odofin where 114 bikes were seized for operating on restricted routes in the state.

The chairman of the agency described the activities of the okada riders as reckless and vowed to concentrate more on that axis to bring their activities to a halt.

“Okada riders in this part of Lagos take advantage of the massive road construction going on here to perpetrate their illegal activities but we won’t condone it any longer.”

Jejeloye sounded a note of warning to all elements involved in such vices and ensures them that the long arm of the law would soon catch up with them.

He assured Lagosian that activities of Okada riders which had been brought down to a recognisable minimum would not be allowed to resurface in a mega city like Lagos.