Lagos task force arrests 44 street traders

No fewer than 44 individuals were arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Taskforce for alleged street trading at the Oke Bridge, Mile 2, as part of renewed efforts to maintain order and ensure free movement along major highways in the state.

The Lagos Taskforce Director of Public Affairs, Abdulraheem Gbadeyan, in a statement on Tuesday, explained that the suspects were apprehended for “illegally occupying the roadside” in violation of the state’s environmental laws.

The enforcement operation, led by the agency’s chairman, CSP Adetayo Akerele, was in response to persistent complaints from motorists and commuters about obstruction, traffic congestion, and environmental hazards caused by illegal trading.

Akerele reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to restoring order in public spaces, emphasising that repeated enforcement exercises had not deterred some individuals from defying regulations.

“Despite repeated warnings and enforcement exercises, some individuals continue to defy regulations by illegally trading on major roads and pedestrian walkways.

“This operation is part of ongoing efforts to ensure compliance and enhance the safety and ease of movement for all Lagosians,” he stated.

The task force further warned that traders who continued to operate in unauthorised locations risked arrest and confiscation of their goods.

Akerele also raised concerns about criminal activities linked to street trading, stressing that recent incidents of traffic robberies in the area necessitated stricter enforcement.

“We are very much aware that some criminal elements amongst them hide under the guise of street trading to perpetrate their evil activities. All that has come to an end as of today because we are going all out to thwart their activities across the state,” he warned.

The agency urged residents to utilize its feedback channels to report suspicious activities to sustain the peace and security enjoyed in the state.

In December 2024, PUNCH Metro reported that state task force operatives arrested 17 suspects during separate raids across various parts of the state, recovering illicit substances such as Colorado, Indian hemp, narcotics, and other controlled drugs from them.