The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has confirmed the eviction of some residents to their home states.
This is contained in a statement issued by Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso on Sunday.
The statement said the exercise intends to free the state of security risks.
It reads: “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.”
According to him, the exercise will continue “as part of the government’s responsibility to keep our citizens safe and secure.”
Earlier it was reported that the police working with the Lagos State Task Force, on Friday, relocated hundreds of young people picked from the streets of the state and dumped them at a forest in Ilesha town in Osun State.
According to the report, the young people were picked from the streets of Ajah, TBS and Island areas of the state, adding that they were first taken to the Makoko police station before being transported to Ilesha.
“We were arrested around 10 pm yesterday and they dropped us at Ilesha in Osun State inside the bus and told us we should go and they even threatened to shoot a gun. We were arrested by police officers, they took us from Makoko police station to Elemoro and we were taken from Elemoro to Osun.
We were plenty. It is about five luxurious buses. We were plenty. They told us that we were arrested because they wanted us to go back to our states,” one of the youths who was forcefully relocated told the media outfit.
The youth alleged they were warned to “remain in their state”.
On Saturday, the State Police Command denied involvement in the alleged forceful relocation of the residents to Osun.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, dismissed the report, saying that the command was not aware of any such operation.
“Following news making the rounds that the “Nigerian Police…Pack Residents…to Osun,” the Lagos State Police Command wishes to clarify that it is not aware, neither was it part, of any such operation,” Hundeyin said.
“The Command, in keeping with its mandates of prevention and detection of crime, conducts raids of black spots from time to time, and promptly arraigns only culpable suspects in courts of competent jurisdiction in the state after a thorough screening of the people raided.
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Adegoke Fayoade, mni assures the good people of Lagos State that the Command would continue to prioritize their safety and security at all times.”
