The Lagos State Government has prosecuted 87 miscreants and 35 notorious cult members arrested during an overnight operation carried out by operatives of the Lagos State Task Force around Idi-Oro, Akala and Mushin area of Lagos.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, disclosed that the overnight operation was sequel to public report that they could no longer sleep with their two eyes closed due to criminal activities around these areas.
Egbeyemi disclosed further that the 35 notorious cult members were arrested along with their gang leader, Sanju Agbabiaka, popularly known as 120, at midnight while they were recruiting new members into their group around Akala area.
He stated that investigation revealed that these 35 arrested notorious cultists belong to a group called Omije Boys.
]The Chairman stated further that the 87 miscreants and 35 notorious cult members terrorised innocent citizens by disposessing them of their valuables and raped women, particularly young girls.
Egbeyemi, who confirmed that 10 females and 15 teenagers were among the arrested miscreants, said one para-military officer attached to the Agency was seriously injured with broken bottles during the operation.
He commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for increasing the number of Vocational Training Centres across the State in order to discourage youths from engaging in criminal activities and be useful to the society.
The Chairman urged youths to shun criminal activities which could land them in jail and get enrolled into these well equipped Vocational Traning Centres where they would be trained in different vocational skills such as computer studies, photography, catering and hotel management, fashion design and dress making, shoe and leather works, hair dressing, bead stringing and hat making and welding fabrication.
Egbeyemi said he had complied with the directive of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who directed that all those arrested, including the 35 notorious cultists, be charged to court.
One of the arrested cult members, Godwin Okpeye, 17, confessed that it was his friend who lured him to be a member of Omije Boys in September 2016 after he dropped out from school.
He confessed further that they were involved in different criminal activities and that he was just released from the Lagos State Remand Home on February 18, 2017 after he and his friends were caught during a robbery operation.
Okpeye said: “I and my friend were sent to Lagos State Remand Home, Oregun by a Magistrate after we pleaded guilty to a robbery operation where we broke into a shop and stole a 32 inches Plasma Television and seven Laptops at 1st Gate around Ikorodu.”
Tobi Atewogbola, 20, who was arrested at Idi-Oro around 2am, said he belongs to a three-man gang that specialises in disposessing innocent citizens of their valuables, particularly phone and bags, at Oshodi.
Atewogbola claimed he and his gang snatch phones and bags early in the morning and late evening when people were going and coming from work.
While the 15 arrested teenagers were ordered to be taken to Lagos Remand Home, Oregun, other miscreants, including the 35 notorious cultists, were charged before Magistrate Ojuromi Tosin and Magistrate Patrick Uwaka of the Lagos State Special Offences Court at Oshodi.
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