The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit has arrested 277 suspects, including pickpockets and hoodlums, while raiding criminal hideouts across the state.
The arrests were part of a targeted operation aimed at reinforcing public safety and curbing criminal activities in key trouble spots, according to a statement released on Sunday by the Task Force Director of Public Affairs, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem.
The statement revealed that the exercise was coordinated by the Chairman of the agency, CSP Adetayo Akerele, and began in the early hours of each day of last week, around 1:30 a.m., based on intelligence reports and complaints from residents.
“Key locations covered included Victoria Island, Osborne Road, Coastal Road, Chevron, First and Second Roundabout, Obalende, Ikota, Lekki Phase 1 and 2, Ikoyi, Falomo Bridge, Law School, Eko Hotel axis, Oniru Beach, as well as Ketu, Isale Oja, AP Roundabout, and railway corridors in Agege on the mainland,” the statement read.
Akerele described the operation as a major step toward restoring order and public decency in areas plagued by street urchins and criminal elements.
“We are committed to safeguarding lives, property, and the environment throughout Lagos State.
“Those who choose to undermine the peace and security of our communities must desist or be prepared to face the full weight of the law. We will not relent in our efforts to ensure a safer and cleaner Lagos,” Akerele stated.
He further disclosed that the operation was part of a broader initiative by the task force to carry out routine enforcement daily, focusing on known black spots, illegal occupations, and criminal enclaves across the state.
“All the 277 suspects apprehended have been duly charged in court in accordance with the extant laws of the state,” he disclosed.
