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Christopher Oji
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 30 suspected drug peddlers in the state.
Also in police net are two men who allegedly defiled two minors. One of the suspects allegedly drugged a 14 -year-old family friend with a substance suspected to be Indian hemp before defiling her.
The suspected drug peddlers were arrested over the weekend by the Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce). The suspects were raided around streets within the Ikeja Central Business Districts including surroundings of the ‘African Shrine,’ Alausa.
The Chairman of the agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, said that the enforcement operations became imperative following complaints from members of the public about the criminal activities of miscreants and environmental nuisance of illegal street traders around the Shrine.
Egbeyemi disclosed that 28 miscreants and 15 illegal street traders were arrested at various locations around Alausa, adding that the raid was also initiated due to the nefarious acts within the vicinity of the African Shrine which presented a negative image to tourists and Lagosians as a whole.
According to the Chairman: “The night enforcement operation was carried out on all roads around African Shrine where sales of hard drugs like Tramadol, Codeine, Skunk, weeds, adulterated liquor, assorted food and all sorts of consumable and non-consumable items were freely sold on the streets in defiance of security agencies and government authority.”
CSP Egbeyemi maintained that the enforcement operations would be a continuous exercise in line with the vision of the present administration to rid the entire state of street urchins and criminals.
“The Lagos State Government has vowed to sustain the security onslaught on all areas identified as criminal hideouts and hard drug outlets across the state, especially within the metropolis,” Egbeyemi said.
Egbeyemi said that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, had directed that all those arrested be immediately prosecuted.
According to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Bala Elkana the 34- year-old-man was arrested for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old – girl after drugging her with leaves suspected to be Indian hemp .
He said: “At about 14:30hours, Bariga police station received a complaint that one Ifunayachi, 34, defiled a 14- year- old girl in her family house. The suspect being a friend to the family, had visited and found the girl eating, and while she left to get him some drinks, he quickly put some quantity of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp into the food. When the minor returned and eat the food without the knowledge of the substance added to her food, she lost consciousness.
“Ifunayachi took advantage of the girl who was unconscious and to raped her. Detectives from the Family Support Unit have arrested the suspect and he has confessed to the commission of the crime. The victim was taken to hospital for medical treatment and forensic examination. The suspect will be charged to court.”
Elkana said that one other suspect was also arrested while another had been declared wanted for gang-raping another minor in Bariga area of the state .
He said: “Bello 26-years -old conspired with one Maker, 24, and gang-raped a 13- year old girl. The survivor became pregnant as a result of the defilement and gave birth to a baby girl about five weeks old. The suspect had earlier threatened to kill the survivor if she told anyone. The survivor summoned courage to narrate her ordeal to her family when the same suspect threatened to rape her younger sister. Then, the suspect, Maker, was arrested by detectives from the Family Support Unit, Bariga, while his accomplice, Bello is at large. An investigation is ongoing; efforts are emplaced to apprehend the second suspect.”
