The Lagos State Task Force has arrested 28 miscreants and 15 illegal street traders at various locations around Alausa and the African Shrine vicinity.

The Chairman of the Agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed this in a statement by the agency’s Head of Public Affairs Unit, Mr Adebayo Taofiq on Sunday in Lagos

Egbeyemi said that the raid was due to the nefarious acts within the vicinity of the African Shrine which presented a negative image to tourists and residents of Lagos.

“Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit, over the weekend, raided all streets within Central Business District including surroundings of the ‘African Shrine’, Alausa, Ikeja”.

“The enforcement operations became imperative following complaints from members of the public about the criminal activities of miscreants and environmental nuisance of illegal street traders around the Shrine,” he said.

According to the chairman, the night operation was carried out around African Shrine where sales of hard drugs like Tramadol, Codeine, Skunk, Weed, Illegal Mixed Liquor and Assorted Food take place.

“These consumable and non-consumable items are freely sold on the streets in defiance of security agencies and government authority,” he said.

Egbeyemi maintained that the enforcement operations would be a continuous exercise in line with the vision of the present administration to rid the state of street urchins and criminals.

“The Lagos State Government has vowed to sustain the security onslaught on all areas identified as criminal hideouts and hard drug outlets across the state, especially within the metropolis,” he said.

One of the arrested miscreants, Mr Tunde Babalola, who was caught with a bag of substance suspected to be Indian hemp, confirmed that he had been selling hard drugs for eight years.

Babalola said that dealing in hard drugs is a lucrative business, saying he realised an average profit between N60,000 and N100,000 weekly from customers around Obalende, Akala, Mushin, Bariga and Ikeja.

An arrested illegal trader, Mrs Abike Adeyemi, said that she pays N1,900 every week to a representative of Ikeja Local Government from the sales of ‘Skuchies’ and ‘Hot drinks’ around the ‘African Shrine’.

The Task Force Chairman said that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Zubairu Muazu, has directed that all those arrested be immediately prosecuted. (NAN)