Personnel of the 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Ikeja Cantonment on Monday dislodged miscreants and street urchins arresting 116 of them during a night operation as part of Exercise STILL WATERS in the Lagos Metropolis.
The operation which began about 1am lasted till 5am; combing all the nooks and crannies where the criminal elements were hiding and carrying out various nefarious acts.
The suspects majorly youths, were arrested on the Railside, Brown Street, Araromi, and other parts of Oshodi were swooped on at their various hideout where they engaged in sundry crimes, illicit drug use and sales, thereby constituting a social misfits to law-abiding citizens.
Briefing journalists after the operation, 9 Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Isangubong Akpaumontia explained the rationale behind the early morning operation.
“We are here because we raided some areas in Oshodi, including Brown Street, Araromi, and some volatile areas and arrested sone hoodlums in that area. About 116 miscreants were involved.
Some dangerous weapons and drugs were recovered from the hoodlums, which included “cut to size” locally made pistol, eight phones, local charms, cash, bails of Indian hemp, Tramadol capsules, ATM cards, MTN sim cards, bags and other sundry items.
Brig Gen Akpaumontia further explained that the suspects would be profiled and any one found to be innocent will be set free while those culpable will be prosecuted.
“Whatsoever happen, we are going to screen them, because some of them were caught alongside others. We will screen before we hand them over to the Nigerian Police. Those ones that are found to be innocent will be left to go. However, those of them caught with the charms, dangerous weapons, drug addict and baron among them, shall be handed over to the law enforcement agencies – Nigerian Police and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for prosecution.
While advising people to shun drug use, bad association and criminal tendencies, the 9 Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Isangubong Akpaumontia assured Lagosians that the security agencies are in charge adding that they should not be afriad and engage in their normal activities.
“We are in charge, because this is the dream of the Chiefs of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya. As I speak to you, this same operation is carried out simultaneously at Festac Area, Mile 2. We would continue to work just to make sure that Lagos is safe,” Brig Gen Akpaumontia reiterated.
