As part of the ongoing war against crime and criminality in Lagos State, the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LNSA) has carried out a massive statewide raid of identified blackspots, criminal hideouts, and shanties across the metropolis, leading to the arrest of 279 suspected criminals, hoodlums, and miscreants.
The General Manager of the agency, Prince Ifalade Oyekan, disclosed this while parading the suspects at the agency’s headquarters in Bolade, Oshodi, according to a statement on the agency’s Facebook page.
It was gathered that the operation was carried out from the late hours of Sunday through Monday as part of the state government’s efforts to rid Lagos of criminal elements and maintain law and order.
Oyekan explained that the exercise was intelligence-driven, leveraging the agency’s extensive network of community informants and operatives to identify blackspots and criminal hideouts in various parts of the state.
The LNSA boss disclosed that a total of 279 suspects, comprising 274 males and five females from different parts of the country, were arrested for various offences, including theft, public nuisance, and other criminal activities.
He noted that many of the suspects had no means of identification and could not provide verifiable residential addresses.
Oyekan added that some of those arrested for constituting public nuisance were individuals who allegedly entered Lagos aboard lorries and vehicles commonly used for transporting livestock and goods into the state.
He stressed that while every Nigerian has the constitutional right to reside and move freely within any part of the country, Lagos State will not tolerate criminality or activities capable of undermining the peace and security enjoyed by residents.
”The exercise is in line with the mandate of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy Dr. Obafemi Hamzat to ensure that Lagos retains its position as the safest and most secure state in Nigeria despite its large and growing population. Through our intelligence network and collaboration with sister security agencies, we will continue to ensure that law-abiding residents feel the presence of government while criminals find no hiding place in Lagos,” he said.