4th July, 2021
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
No fewer than 71 hoodlums have been arrested and 227 motorcycles, popularly known as Okada impounded for plying prohibited routes in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) carried out the arrest in a raid of black spots across the state at the weekend.
The raid was in line with the directives of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu to Taskforce to rid Oshodi of traffic robbers and miscreants who harass and dispossess motorists and commuters of their belongings.
The agency’s team which was led by its Chairman, CSP Shola Jejeloye at Oshodi Oke, Oshodi Under-bridge, Toyota, Fatai Atere, among others where many ex-convicts, drug addicts and peddlers were arrested around 5:00am to 6:00a.m.
“Jejeloye had on reaching the agency’s headquarters in Oshodi personally screened the suspects one after the other before releasing five of them,” said a statement isued by Taskforce spokesman, Femi Moliki on Sunday.
Some of the motorists and passers-by, who witnessed the arrest of some of the miscreants commended the agency for evacuating some of the miscreants, adding that they had made Oshodi inaccessible at dawn and at night.
Some of the suspects indicted for their notoriety and criminal conduct in the areas included: Solomon Ebenezer (29), Toyin Shoboyejo (29), Chidebere Peter (29) and Demola Olowe (a.k.a FGN) all of whom are ex – convicts.
In a related development, Lagos State Taskforce over the weekend impounded 227 okadas for plying restricted routes.
The bikes were impounded in Ikeja Along, Ogba, Alaguntan, Abule Egba, Command, Gate and Ayobo.
The Chairman vowed that the agency would intensify efforts to complement the Command in ridding the State of criminals while also continuing with the clampdown on motor bikes plying prohibited routes in the State.