Lagos Taskforce Arrests 30 Suspected Criminals In Obalende Raid
The Lagos State Taskforce has arrested more than 30 suspected criminals, drug peddlers and street urchins during an enforcement operation conducted around Obalende, Marina and other parts of Lagos Island.
The operation, carried out in the early hours of Wednesday, was led by the Chairman of the Taskforce, CSP Adetayo Akerele, as part of efforts to rid the state of criminal hideouts, environmental nuisances and other activities considered to be violations of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Law of 2017.
The agency said its operatives visited identified blackspots with a history of environmental and criminal activities, with Obalende and Marina among the areas targeted during the exercise.
At Obalende, Akerele commended residents and indigenes of the area for their surveillance efforts and active participation in helping to identify and drive away suspected criminals from the community.
According to the Taskforce, over 30 suspects were apprehended for allegedly disturbing public peace and attempting to engage in criminal activities across Obalende and Marina.
The agency said some of the suspects were also allegedly involved in activities capable of threatening public infrastructure, including billboards and road signage.
It added that various substances suspected to be illicit drugs, including Indian hemp, marijuana, codeine and Colorado, were recovered from some of the suspects during the operation.
The Taskforce said the suspects would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Speaking at the agency’s headquarters in Bolade, Oshodi, Akerele stressed the importance of active citizen participation in maintaining security and environmental order across Lagos.
He urged residents to play an active role in determining the security architecture of their communities and advised them against harbouring individuals involved in street violence or other criminal activities.
The chairman warned that criminals and violators of environmental laws would face prosecution, stressing that sustained enforcement and cooperation between residents and relevant government agencies were necessary to achieve lasting environmental sanity.
The Lagos State Government, through the Taskforce, reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards environmental nuisances, criminal activities and street urchins, popularly known as “Omotaku”, as part of broader efforts to make Lagos cleaner, safer and more liveable.
