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By Christopher Oji
Operatives of the Lagos State Taskforce have arrested five notorious street urchins who belong to a gang popularly known as Omotaku, along Aboru, Abule-Egba- Abeokuta expressway,TBS and other areas of the state.
The suspects: Alade Olarewaju,25, Oluwadamilare Alabi, 38, Sunday Idowu, 32, Rabiu Ibrahim,29 and Raji Yusuf,23, who went about arresting unsuspecting motorists and extorting them of their hard earned money when their vehicle developed mechanical fault and broke down on the highway around Abule-Egba, Aboru, TBS area of the state.
They were arrested yesterday ,on a tipoff through the agency hotlines.
The agency swung into action and apprehended the suspects who claimed to be assisting the motorists to fixed their faulty vehicles.
Speaking on the incident, Chairman of the Agency, CSP Adetayo Akerele disclosed that he has been on the trail of the suspects for a very long time, due to the numerous reports he received from members of the public about a group of daredevil boys around Abule-Egba axis, who would seize motorists and forcefully demanded for financial settlements in exchange of the release of their vehicle.
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According to two of the suspects: Alade Olarewaju and Oluwadamilare Alabi, their targets are usually vehicles conveying goods and Lorries which broke down on the highways.
“We approach them as roadside mechanic with legitimate duty to repair their vehicles before we show them our true colour, we arrest them and threaten them with removal of their vehicle batteries before they part with some money.”
According to Director, Press & Public Affairs Lagos State Taskforce,Gbadeyan Abdulraheem,” the other suspects claimed their role is to block the driver from entering the vehicle of their preys or remove side mirrors in order to create fear and panic in their hearts and subject them to negotiation.
” The suspects have been arraigned in court on three counts of illegal collection of fees from driver of a broken down vehicle, willful obstruction of the driver’s of a broken down vehicle and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.”
He said the chairman urge members of the public to report any suspicious activities to nearby Police Station or to the Agency through our feedback channels for prompt action. There is no more room for criminality in Lagos .”
