The Lagos State Government has linked the surge in traffic robberies and other criminal activities across the state to miscreants who sleep and hide under bridges, using these areas as hideouts for illicit operations.
The government stated that these perpetrators, responsible for increasing cases of robbery and other violent crimes, often operate from makeshift settlements beneath bridges and in abandoned structures across the state.
These remarks came barely 34 hours after Nollywood actor Adeniyi Johnson raised the alarm over the deteriorating security situation in the state after being robbed twice in traffic.
Johnson had revealed his encounter with armed robbers while in traffic, calling for urgent action against the rising incidents of armed robbery on major roads.
The actor, in an uploaded video, disclosed that the incident, which happened at night, was carried out by a three-man gang along the Ketu area of the state.
Johnson, who expressed fear and frustration, added that the perpetrators damaged his car in an attempt to rob him of his belongings.
Reacting to this, the Commissioner for the Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, on Monday revealed that the surge in traffic robberies and related crimes was the handiwork of miscreants who take refuge under bridges and in hidden corners of the city.
Wahab added that security operatives have intensified patrols in hotspot locations, and efforts are ongoing to dislodge the miscreants from their hideouts beneath major bridges.
According to him, “Most of the people perpetrating this evil act are the miscreants sleeping and hiding under the bridges in Lagos, and we have been constantly arresting them. But some other people have been attacking us on social media and calling them ‘homeless’. The good thing is that we remain focused and will not be distracted. Lagos must be safe for everyone.”
