The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit has arrested two suspected members of the notorious street syndicate, Omotaku, along the Oshodi–Agunlejika–Apapa Expressway.
The arrest was confirmed on Tuesday by the agency’s chairman, Mr Adetayo Akerele, in a statement signed by the Taskforce spokesperson, Mr Raheem Gbadeyan.
Akerele said the suspects were apprehended while extorting money from a motorist whose vehicle had developed a mechanical fault on the highway. He explained that the arrest followed a tip-off from a concerned group, ICU – To Soul a Soul.
“Acting on the intelligence, Taskforce operatives swung into action and caught the duo in the act,” he said.
According to Akerele, the suspects initially claimed to be a bystander and a revenue collector, but investigations revealed they were known Omotaku operatives who had previously evaded arrest and had long been on the agency’s watchlist.
He said one of the suspects confessed that the group specifically targeted vehicles conveying goods from Apapa Port that broke down along the expressway. The suspects allegedly posed as government revenue collectors, claiming to protect motorists from rival groups, while threatening vehicle impoundment.
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Akerele added that the second suspect admitted to blocking drivers from accessing their vehicles in order to instil fear and force negotiations.
The Taskforce chairman assured residents that the suspects would be prosecuted in accordance with the law and warned that the arrest should serve as a deterrent to others operating under the guise of revenue enforcement.
He urged the public to report suspicious activities through the agency’s feedback channels or the nearest police station, adding that the suspects are currently in custody and will be charged to court.