26th October, 2010
The Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences Unit has arraigned at least 100 miscreants and others arrested while crossing the expressway in Oshodi, Lagos, South West Nigeria.
The miscreants were arrested for disturbing the peace of Oshodi while about 50 others were arrested for crossing the road rather than use of the two pedestrian bridges in the area.
There had been complaints by some Lagosians that miscreants were disturbing the peace of the area which made the taskforce to arrest them.
Those convicted at the special court in the taskforce office would be fined at least N10, 000 or committed to prison for violating the environmental laws of the state.
According to taskforce chairman, Bayo Suleiman the operation was carried out following text messages and comments in the national dailies that miscreants had returned to Oshodi.
He stated that the taskforce received information that the barbed wire used to fence the railway line was destroyed, adding that security operatives were fully ready to battle those disturbing the peace of Oshodi.
“We are now on ground 24 hours to ensure public order and compliance with the state laws. We have been there. The traffic jams must have been due to an increase in the number of vehicles in Oshodi, but not because the law enforcement officers are not on the ground.
“The barbed wire was broken in the night after our security operatives had gone. We always end our operations at 10 p.m. Then the miscreants may come out. Even at this, we have devised fresh approach to arresting them. But this is not what we can discuss on the pages of the national dailies or on the air,†Suleiman said.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga
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