Lagos Taskforce Arrests 186 Hoodlums In Oshodi, Promises To Sanitise The Area

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Friday, April 11th, 2014

Ayo Balogun, Lagos

At least, 186 suspected hoodlums were on Friday arrested by the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences Unit in Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria.

Oshodi Hoodlums

The taskforce officials raided nooks and crannies of Oshodi at the early hours of Friday and loaded suspected hoodlums in a Black Maria and took them to the taskforce office at Alausa.

At least, 33 underage children were counted among the hoodlums while a mother with five children was also arrested and later released by the police. Last week, about 118 hoodlums were also arrested in Oshodi.

In recent time, there have been upsurge of hoodlums in Oshodi with touts snatching people’s bag and other valuables mostly at night.

According to the Taskforce Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman, it is unpalatable that despite the effort being put by the government to sanitise Oshodi, hoodlums still throng the area, but said the taskforce was up to the task.

He said the taskforce was determined to get rid of hoodlums in Oshodi and would not allow them to get back there, saying “we will continue to monitor Oshodi. Mothers should take care of their children and don’t allow them to get back to the streets again.”

Sulaiman said the adult among the hoodlums arrested would be arraigned in court while the underage hoodlums would be taken to the Lagos State Correctional Centre for rehabilitation.