Lagos Intensifies Crackdown On Hoodlums Extorting Motorists On Lekki-Ajah Road
The Lagos State Government has intensified its crackdown on suspected hoodlums accused of harassing and extorting motorists along the Lekki-Ajah Expressway.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this on Sunday in a post on X, revealing that operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) carried out a midnight enforcement operation along the major highway.
Wahab said the operation was aimed at apprehending suspected miscreants allegedly terrorising motorists and other road users, demanding money from them and damaging vehicles when their demands were rejected.
He said the government would continue to deploy intelligence-driven operations to tackle criminal activities capable of threatening public safety and disrupting the free movement of people and vehicles across Lagos.
The commissioner said the latest operation followed growing concerns over the activities of street hoodlums in different parts of the state.
Wahab had earlier reacted to a documentary shared on X showing suspected street urchins allegedly stopping celebrities and demanding money from them.
According to him, the Lagos State Government had repeatedly cleared street urchins from various locations, but financial support and patronage from members of the public could encourage them to return to the streets.
He warned that such patronage could make street harassment appear to be a lucrative means of livelihood while creating a sense of entitlement among the perpetrators.
Wahab urged residents, influencers and other members of the public to desist from activities that could encourage street begging, lawlessness, insecurity and environmental nuisance.
He stressed that sustained cooperation between residents and government agencies remained essential to curbing the activities of hoodlums and ensuring safer and more orderly roads across Lagos.
The commissioner assured residents that security and enforcement agencies would sustain intelligence-led operations against criminal elements whose activities threaten public safety and obstruct the free movement of motorists and other road users.
