No fewer than 53 street urchins and miscreants suspected to be drug peddlers were arrested by the operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement unit also known as the Lagos task force during a raid of their hideouts on Tuesday.
This was contained in a statement signed by the agencyโs spokesperson, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, on Tuesday.
The raid was carried out in the Gowon Estate, Egbeda and some parts of Alimosho Local Government Area of the state, it was stated.
Abdulraheem revealed that items suspected to be hard drugs were also recovered during the raid.
In his words, โIn a targeted operation to enhance the safety and security of lives and properties and environmental decorum, the Lagos State Task force has apprehended 53 suspected drug peddlers, addicts, miscreants, street urchins, illegal street traders and people of shady business dealings.
โSeveral mixes of different illicit drugs and narcotics are suspected to be Indian hemp, Codeine syrup, colorado and several others that are not good or worthy of human consumption.โ
Reacting to the raid and arrest, the agencyโs chairman, Adetayo Akerele, noted that the operation was a step in ridding the area of criminal elements who had posed a threat to residents.
Akerele, who spoke through Abdulraheem, reaffirmed the agencyโs commitment to monitoring other criminal hideouts, blackspots, abandoned buildings, and properties that are not in active use.
โThe Lagos State Task Force remains fully committed to safeguarding all residents, and we will continue our efforts to rid the metropolis of individuals who prey on law-abiding citizens.
โThese arrests underscore our determination to maintain a safe, serene and conducive environment for all,โ he added, noting, โWe will not rest until everyone involved in these illegal practices is held accountable.
Abdulraheem added that โthe 53 suspects apprehended for unlawfully engaging in selling and smoking of narcotics, drug peddling and street trading will be promptly charged in court.โ
He stressed that a resident of the area identified as Alhaji Muraina Ajao commended the efforts of the task force while noting that โpassing through the Gowon Estate is now a haven for its residents, for the first time in the last seven years.โThe task force spokesperson urged residents of the state to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the agency. (Punch)