Lagos intensifies crackdown on hoodlums extorting motorists along Lekki-Ajah road

The Lagos State Government has stepped up enforcement against suspected hoodlums accused of harassing motorists, extorting road users and disrupting free movement along major highways in the state.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this in a post on X on Sunday, stating that operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, conducted a midnight operation along the Lekki-Ajah expressway.

According to Wahab, the operation was targeted at individuals allegedly terrorising motorists and other road users, demanding money from them and damaging vehicles when motorists refused to comply.

“The Lagos State Rapid Response Squad, RRS, conducted a midnight enforcement operation along the Lekki–Ajah expressway to apprehend miscreants and hoodlums who have been constituting a nuisance and posing a threat to motorists and other road users,” he said.

The commissioner said the state would continue to deploy intelligence-driven strategies to tackle criminal activities capable of undermining public safety and obstructing the movement of people and vehicles.

“The RRS will continue to sustain intelligence-led operations and enforcement actions against criminal elements whose activities threaten public safety and disrupt the free movement of people and vehicles across the State,” Wahab added.

His latest comments followed his earlier reaction to a documentary shared on X, which showed suspected street hoodlums allegedly stopping celebrities and demanding money from them.

Wahab said the government had on several occasions removed street urchins from different parts of Lagos, but warned that financial support and patronage from members of the public could encourage them to return.

“The continued financial support and patronage they receive from some influencers, celebrities, and members of the public, as seen in this video, inadvertently encourage them to return to the streets and, in some cases, view it as a lucrative means of livelihood, while also breeding a sense of entitlement,” he stated.

While acknowledging the government’s responsibility to maintain security and order, Wahab appealed to residents to avoid practices that could promote street begging, disorder and other forms of nuisance.

“We therefore urge everyone to desist from activities that may inadvertently encourage lawlessness, insecurity, street begging, and environmental nuisance on our roads,” he said.

The commissioner stressed that sustained cooperation between residents and government agencies would be crucial to eliminating the menace and creating safer, more orderly roads across Lagos.