Lagos State Government has said that the exercise to free the state of visible security risks has continued after the arrest of some suspects under the Dolphin Estate bridge, assuring that the exercise would continue as part of the government’s responsibility to keep people living in Lagos safe and secure.
It would be recalled that the state government last week dislodged tenants under Dolphins Estate Bridge, who paid N250,000 annually to landlords involved in the nefarious act, while all the structures had been dismantled and a total of 36 miscreants who lived under the bridge arrested, with intensified efforts ongoing to arrest the ring leaders who rented out the underbridge apartments which also had electricity supply.
The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, gave this assurance on Sunday in a statement, copy of which he made available to newsmen, expressing concern over the ceaseless influx of miscreants, beggars, and the destitute onto Lagos streets which he said had raised fears of insecurity of lives and property and, therefore, unacceptable.
According to Omotoso, a total of 450 miscreants were at the weekend as part of the exercise, saying that 371 of those arrested pleaded for assistance to relocate to their various states due to the hardship they were facing in Lagos, while 79 out of the lot had been absorbed into some government facilities for rehabilitation after showing signs of being unwell.
“The Statewide exercise to free Lagos of visible security risks has continued after the arrest of some suspects under the Dolphin Estate bridge.
“The ceaseless influx of miscreants, beggars, and the destitute onto Lagos streets has raised fears of insecurity of lives and property. This is unacceptable.
“As part of the exercise, 450 miscreants were at the weekend rescued. Of the lot, 371 pleaded for assistance to relocate to their various states due to the hardship they are facing in Lagos; 79 have been absorbed into some government facilities for rehabilitation after showing signs of being unwell.
“The exercise will continue as part of the government’s responsibility to keep our citizens safe and secure,” the commissioner said in the statement.