The Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) unit in Oshodi motor parks and its environs, yesterday arrested at least 118 suspected hoodlums.
The hoodlums, who were reportedly unleashing mayhem, were arrested by the team which stormed the area at 1:00am.
Sources said that the hoodlums robbed commuters of their valuables at the early hours of yesterday.
It was reported that over 160 hoodlums were initially arrested by the taskforce. A screening at the taskforce office in Alausa, Ikeja, however trimmed the number down to 118. The detained hoodlums include 106 males and 12 females.
Chairman of the Taskforce, Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. Bayo Sulaiman, who confirmed the arrest to Vanguard, noted that the raid at Oshodi began around 1am and that the exercise lasted for an hour.
“We decided to raid Oshodi after a long time due to series of complaint about upsurge in petty criminal activities in the area,” he said.
Sulaimon said suspected hoodlums were arrested in various dark spots in Oshodi, including under the bridge, abandoned properties, among others.
“We have been receiving text messages and people calling us that they are being harrassed by hoodlums at Oshodi. We realised that we have to go after them again,” he said.
According to him, incessant raid of hoodlums in Oshodi in the past abated their activities, but a little break given to them had made them think that the taskforce was no longer watching.
