Akerele Leads Fresh Crackdown on Criminals as Taskforce Arrests 33 in Lagos Raids

Akerele Leads Fresh Crackdown on Criminals as Taskforce Arrests 33 in Lagos Raids

By Temidayo Babalola 

The Chairman of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce), CSP Adetayo Akerele, has intensified the agency's offensive against criminal elements in Lagos, leading to the arrest of 33 suspects during a coordinated enforcement operation across strategic locations in the state.

The operation, carried out in the early hours of Monday, formed part of the agency's renewed commitment to combating crime, environmental nuisance and other social vices in line with the Lagos State Government's THEMES Plus Agenda.

The enforcement team stormed Ikate Bus Stop, Marwa Bus Stop, Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island, Obalende Underbridge, Law School Junction and adjoining parts of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, where suspected street urchins, drug peddlers, illegal commercial motorcyclists, street traders, ticket touts and other criminal elements were rounded up.

During the exercise, officers recovered substances suspected to be Tramadol, Indian hemp, Colorado, marijuana and cannabis, as well as dangerous weapons, including cutlasses and scissors.

Speaking after the operation, Akerele reaffirmed his determination to ensure that criminal elements have no hiding place in Lagos.

"There is no room for criminality in Lagos State. Those engaged in criminal activities should either desist or relocate. We remain committed to enforcing the laws of the State and ensuring that residents continue to enjoy a safe, secure and orderly environment," he said.

The Taskforce Chairman also charged officers to sustain the ongoing enforcement drive across the state, urging them to remain professional and committed to intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks and maintaining public order.

Under Akerele's leadership, the Lagos State Taskforce has continued to sustain regular enforcement operations targeting criminal hideouts, illegal commercial motorcycle operations and environmental offences across the state.

The agency disclosed that all 33 suspects have been arraigned before the appropriate courts in accordance with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, and the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, where applicable.