By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos.
No fewer than 23 hoodlums have been apprehended by a local vigilante group and the Police in Lagos for alleged theft and hooliganism.
It was reliably gathered that the suspects, which include 12 adults and 11 underage, were arrested by the Vigilante Group identified as “Idera” at the White Sand area of Badia in Apapa Iganmu Development Council Area of Lagos at about 2.00am on Monday.
The suspects, according to residents were members of some notorious gangs that have been terrorizing the area by dispossessing residents of their valuables under gun point and bugling of homes at night.
They were said to have most times gained access into homes at night by using industrial scissors to damage window nets before attacking and robbing their victims.
According to eyewitness, the hoodlums were nabbed in their hideout during a raid by members of the vigilante group, said to have been assisting the police in ensuring that criminals are booted out of the area and its environs.
Our correspondent gathered that the area has become a comfort zone for hoodlums dislodged from Oshodi, Ajah,Mushin,Ajegunle, Bariga and some notorious areas of the state by operatives of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Office and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in recent time.
Upon their arrest, the suspects were said to have been over to policemen at Badia Division for investigation and prosecution.
As at the time of filing the report, Police source at the station informed our correspondent that the suspects have been profiled, with 12 out of them arraigned at Agbo Malu magistrate court, while the under aged would be taken to Children Remind Home.
The DPO of the station Kayode Ayeni, who neither confirm nor denied the arrest, said the report has been forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) for appropriate action.
