LAGOS TASKFORCE ARRESTS TWO SUSPECTED OMOTAKU MEMBERS ON OSHODI–APAPA EXPRESSWAY

Read Time:1 Minute, 38 Second

By Aishat Momoh. O.

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit has arrested two suspected members of the notorious street syndicate, Omotaku, along the Oshodi–Agunlejika–Apapa Expressway.

The Chairman of the agency, Mr Adetayo Akerele, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos and signed by the Taskforce spokesperson, Mr Raheem Gbadeyan.

According to Akerele, the suspects were apprehended while allegedly extorting money from an unsuspecting motorist whose vehicle developed a mechanical fault on the highway. He said the arrest followed a tip-off from a concerned civic group, ICU – To Soul a Soul.

“Acting on the intelligence received, Taskforce operatives immediately swung into action and caught the duo in the act,” Akerele said.

He explained that the suspects initially claimed to be a bystander and a revenue collector, but investigations later exposed them as known Omotaku operatives who had been on the agency’s watchlist for a long time.

“I receive several calls and online complaints from residents about these individuals who operate deceptively and present themselves as legitimate,” the Taskforce chairman said.

Akerele disclosed that one of the suspects confessed to targeting vehicles transporting goods from Apapa Port whenever they broke down along the expressway. The suspects reportedly posed as government revenue collectors, claiming to protect motorists from rival groups before threatening vehicle impoundment.

He added that the second suspect admitted to deliberately blocking drivers from accessing their vehicles in order to instil fear and force negotiations.

Akerele assured Lagos residents that the suspects would be prosecuted in line with the law, stressing that the arrest should serve as a strong warning to criminals operating under the guise of revenue enforcement.

“I urge members of the public to report suspicious activities through our feedback channels or to the nearest police station. There is no room for criminality in Lagos,” he said.

The Taskforce chairman confirmed that the suspects are currently in custody and will be charged to court.