Not less than 34 suspected hoodlums were arrested at the weekend by the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences as part of the continued efforts to rid the state of hoodlums.
A breakdown of the figure shows that 15 were under-aged between the ages of 13 and 17 while the remaining 19 are adults. They were arrested in the early morning hours of Friday at Oko-Mola, a criminal hide out in Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria.
Reacting to this latest arrest, chairman of the Task force,Mr. Bayo Sulaiman explained that recent investigation revealed that Oko-Mola is fast gaining notoriety as a hideout for miscreants. He lamented continued presence of under-aged children in the group, saying that it has often posed a challenge to the task force.
He particularly mentioned the case of one Cynthia Okunade, a 17 year old teenager from Edo state whom he said had been arrested previously and taken to her mother at Ejigbo, but surprisingly found her way back to the dreaded Oko Mola.
Another under aged, Rotimi Johnson, a 14 year old Lagosian who had previously been arrested and returned home told of how he ran away from home and took refuge amongst miscreants who he admitted were involved in shady deals like snatching of handbags and other petty crimes
When asked what will become of the suspects, CSP Sulaiman said the under aged will be taken to various recreational homes while the adults will be charged before the law courts.
He added that contrary to peoples opinion, constant raids of criminal hideouts is neither for fun, amusement nor for extortion but to help secure the lives and property of every resident of Lagos State.
