The Lagos State Task Force on the Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit has arrested 28 miscreants and 15 illegal street traders.
It was gathered that the miscreants were arrested on Thursday and Friday during raids on the Central Business District, Ikeja, around the Afrika Shrine.
According to the Chairman of the task force, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, the operation was carried out following complaints by members of the public on the activities of the miscreants and the nuisance caused by the street traders around the shrine.
He added that the activities of the miscreants and illegal traders had presented a negative image to tourists visiting the shrine and to Lagos residents.
Egbeyemi said, “The night enforcement operation was carried out on all roads around the Afrika Shrine, where the sale of hard drugs like tramadol, codeine, skunk, weed, illegally-mixed liquor, assorted food and all sorts of consumables and non-consumable items take place freely on the streets in defiance of security agencies and government authority.
“The Lagos State Government has vowed to sustain the security onslaught on all areas identified as criminal hideouts and hard drug outlets across the state, especially within the metropolis.”
One of the suspects, Tunde Babalola, who was caught with a bag of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, in his confessional statement to the operatives, stated that he had been selling hard drugs for eight years, especially around the Afrika Shrine, noting that dealing in hard drugs was a lucrative business.
He added that he made between N60,000 and N100,000 weekly on the average as profit from customers around Obalende, Akala, Mushin, Bariga, and Ikeja areas of the state.
One of the arrested traders, Abike Adeyemi, stated that she was paying N1,900 every week to a representative of the Ikeja Local Government for the sale of skuchies and alcoholic drinks around the shrine.
According to Egbeyemi, the state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, has directed that the suspects be prosecuted immediately.
READ ALSO: Bandits free 30 more victims in Katsina
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a suspected robber, Sadiq Yinusa, and two others for breaking into a nightclub in the Igbobi area of the state.
It was gathered that Yinusa was arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad while attempting to rob the club supervisor around 2.45am last Wednesday.
PUNCH Metro learnt that a locally-made shotgun, four live cartridges, a socket wrench, a chisel and a pair of pliers were recovered from the suspect.
In his confessional statement to the RRS operatives, Yinusa told the officers that he broke into the club to raise money to secure the release of one of his gang members currently at the Kirikiri Prison.
He said, “Prince Chika, currently serving a prison term at Kirikiri for robbery, called me last week to help him raise funds to secure his freedom from prison. I visited him in prison a week ago and he called me from prison to appeal for my assistance. He told me the location of his gun and some of the arms he used.
“He assured me that he would pay back in the first few weeks of his regaining freedom. I retrieved all these arms from the bush, where he kept them, before heading for the operation. He told me that he bought the gun in Anambra State for a sum of N5,000. Yesterday (last Wednesday) was the first day I would fire a gun during an operation.
“Everybody had left the club on Morocco Road, Igbobi, when I scaled the fence. I saw the supervisor and at gunpoint, I requested his wallet, but when I felt he was wasting time, I shot at him but he dodged the bullet and raised the alarm. I was escaping when I ran into a patrol team of RRS men, who were responding to the distress call.
“I was a pickpocket and a burglar before venturing into robbery. Last week, I broke into three houses in Shomolu. From each of the houses, I collected two mobile phones from my victims and I also got three laptops as well as jewellery. I sold them to one Adamu Jubril.
“Whenever I collected ATM cards from victims, it was Korede Baki, who assisted me in doing the withdrawals. I collected the PIN along with the ATM cards at gunpoint.”
The operatives also arrested Jubril and Baki, who confessed to have been receiving stolen items from Yinusa.
The CP, in his reaction to the arrests, urged Lagos residents to know their neighbours, adding that policing would be a lot easier when members of the public realised that it was everybody’s responsibility.
It was gathered that the miscreants were arrested on Thursday and Friday during raids on the Central Business District, Ikeja, around the Afrika Shrine.
According to the Chairman of the task force, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, the operation was carried out following complaints by members of the public on the activities of the miscreants and the nuisance caused by the street traders around the shrine.
He added that the activities of the miscreants and illegal traders had presented a negative image to tourists visiting the shrine and to Lagos residents.
Egbeyemi said, “The night enforcement operation was carried out on all roads around the Afrika Shrine, where the sale of hard drugs like tramadol, codeine, skunk, weed, illegally-mixed liquor, assorted food and all sorts of consumables and non-consumable items take place freely on the streets in defiance of security agencies and government authority.
“The Lagos State Government has vowed to sustain the security onslaught on all areas identified as criminal hideouts and hard drug outlets across the state, especially within the metropolis.”
One of the suspects, Tunde Babalola, who was caught with a bag of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, in his confessional statement to the operatives, stated that he had been selling hard drugs for eight years, especially around the Afrika Shrine, noting that dealing in hard drugs was a lucrative business.
He added that he made between N60,000 and N100,000 weekly on the average as profit from customers around Obalende, Akala, Mushin, Bariga, and Ikeja areas of the state.
One of the arrested traders, Abike Adeyemi, stated that she was paying N1,900 every week to a representative of the Ikeja Local Government for the sale of skuchies and alcoholic drinks around the shrine.
According to Egbeyemi, the state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, has directed that the suspects be prosecuted immediately.
READ ALSO: Bandits free 30 more victims in Katsina
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a suspected robber, Sadiq Yinusa, and two others for breaking into a nightclub in the Igbobi area of the state.
It was gathered that Yinusa was arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad while attempting to rob the club supervisor around 2.45am last Wednesday.
PUNCH Metro learnt that a locally-made shotgun, four live cartridges, a socket wrench, a chisel and a pair of pliers were recovered from the suspect.
In his confessional statement to the RRS operatives, Yinusa told the officers that he broke into the club to raise money to secure the release of one of his gang members currently at the Kirikiri Prison.
He said, “Prince Chika, currently serving a prison term at Kirikiri for robbery, called me last week to help him raise funds to secure his freedom from prison. I visited him in prison a week ago and he called me from prison to appeal for my assistance. He told me the location of his gun and some of the arms he used.
“He assured me that he would pay back in the first few weeks of his regaining freedom. I retrieved all these arms from the bush, where he kept them, before heading for the operation. He told me that he bought the gun in Anambra State for a sum of N5,000. Yesterday (last Wednesday) was the first day I would fire a gun during an operation.
“Everybody had left the club on Morocco Road, Igbobi, when I scaled the fence. I saw the supervisor and at gunpoint, I requested his wallet, but when I felt he was wasting time, I shot at him but he dodged the bullet and raised the alarm. I was escaping when I ran into a patrol team of RRS men, who were responding to the distress call.
“I was a pickpocket and a burglar before venturing into robbery. Last week, I broke into three houses in Shomolu. From each of the houses, I collected two mobile phones from my victims and I also got three laptops as well as jewellery. I sold them to one Adamu Jubril.
“Whenever I collected ATM cards from victims, it was Korede Baki, who assisted me in doing the withdrawals. I collected the PIN along with the ATM cards at gunpoint.”
The operatives also arrested Jubril and Baki, who confessed to have been receiving stolen items from Yinusa.
The CP, in his reaction to the arrests, urged Lagos residents to know their neighbours, adding that policing would be a lot easier when members of the public realised that it was everybody’s responsibility.
