By Desire Emmanuel
Twenty five hoodlums popularly known as Omotaku who have been harassing owners of broken-down vehicles in the Lekki area of Lagos State have been apprehended.
Omotaku in local parlance are young boys and men who attack motorists whose vehicles break down on major highways in the state, especially early in the morning or late at night, dispossessing them of their valuables.
Many motorists have fallen victims of these hoodlums with some of them having terrible tales to tell about the atrocities committed by them.
Their modus operandi is to approach owners of broken-down vehicles, most especially trucks and trailers carrying goods.
They will then pretend to be of help after which they will bring out weapons and attack the owners of vehicles, demanding money and other valuables.
However, the long arm of the law caught up with 25 of them at the Lekki-Epe Expressway in the state as operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, popularly known as KAI, apprehended them when they carried out an evening raid on Wednesday, March 11.
Their arrest was announced by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources in the state, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, on his verified X handle on Wednesday night, as he added that they were arrested following intelligence reports gathered about their nefarious activities.
The commissioner wrote: “During our evening patrol today, 25 individuals {Omotaku} who were harassing motorists along the Lekki axis were arrested. Harassment of road users and other forms of disorderly conduct will not be tolerated.
“Our enforcement teams will continue to monitor key corridors across the state to ensure public safety and maintain order.”
All the arrested hoodlums are expected to be handed over to security agencies for further interrogation and prosecution.
