4th July, 2013
At least 166 suspected hoodlums have been arrested in Oshodi, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, by the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit.
Those arrested include 11 female, with two girls heavily pregnant.
Seven under aged boys were also among those arrested. They were taken to the Boys Remand Home, Oregun for correction and rehabilitation.
Out of the 166 suspects, 105 of them were charged to court after screening, while 61 were let off the hook.
Out of the 105 suspects arraigned in court, 48 pleaded guilty and were sentenced to six months imprisonment or to pay fines ranging from N20,000 to N80,000.
According to Taskforce Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman, Chief Superintendent of Police, all the suspected hoodlums were arrested at Okomola, a notorious area inhabited by hoodlums in Oshodi.
He said between January and June this year, 1,000 hoodlums have been arrested in Oshodi alone, some of them illegal aliens from Benin Republic.
“There is a problem in the society as family values have gone. We have among them a pregnant under aged girl with her husband living under the bridge in Oshodi. We only follow the law to arrest them, the under aged among them are taken to Remand Home for correction and where they learn some trade. Two of those arrested are twins from the same parents sleeping under the bridge,” he explained.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga