11th January, 2013
Officials of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit raided Oshodi area of Lagos this morning and arrested 84 suspected hoodlums and recovered a toy gun.
The taskforce stormed the area around 4.00 am fully armed and with a Black Maria Van.
At least 30 of the suspects were minors between the ages of 12 and 18 while nine of those arrested had previously been arrested by the taskforce on four different occasions.
The toy gun is suspected to belong to Tajudeen Yusuf, who had been arrested four times, but he denied ownership of the toy gun. One of those arrested is a 13-year old boy who said he ran away from home. He was arrested under the bridge at Oshodi.
“I am from Ondo State and I sleep under the bridge at Oshodi. My mother has died and I came to stay with my aunt in Lagos, but I ran away with her N1,000,” he said.
Another minor, 13 years, said he was arrested at Oko-Mala, a ghetto in Oshodi and a notorious haven where criminals are bred.
Another 13-year old minor said he lost his father some years ago, saying that his mother sent him away from home, which was why he pitched tent in Oshodi.
Another said after his boss refused to grant him freedom after learning vulcanising, he took to pilfering to make ends meet. Taskforce Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman told newsmen that the hoodlums were arrested at Oshodi around 4.00 am, while lamenting that many of them were underaged.
“Nine of them have been arrested before and one of them has a toy gun. There are many young ones there and some of them said they don’t have parents,” he said.
Sulaiman stated that the nine people arrested four times previously would be charged specially.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga