By Christopher Oji

The Lagos State Police Command has secured a total number of 1,490 conviction against hoodlums in the state.

The hoodlums consisting of miscreants, street traders, traffic offenders, among others, were convicted for various offences .

According to the police, the convicts were among the 1,709 suspects arrested for various offences in the state between June 1 and September 9, 2022, a period in which the Lagos State Government reviewed the state traffic law guiding the activities of commercial motorcyclists in the state.

According to Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the arrests were made after the ban on motorcycle operations between June 1 and September 9, 2022, which led to the impoundment of 4,694 motorcycles from recalcitrant commercial motorcyclists.

“In June 2022, 1,885 motorcycles were impounded for contravening the ban. A decline was recorded in July with 1,501 motorcycles impounded while August and September saw the impoundment of 1,029 and 279 motorcycles respectively.

“However, out of the 1,709 persons arrested for contravening traffic laws, and committing other offences in the state, 131 suspects were screened out while a total of 1,578 were charged to court, leading to the conviction of 1,490.

“Out of the 1,578 suspects prosecuted, eight had their cases struck out, 11 were discharged while 69 were still awaiting trial”.

Hundeyin also said that there was seizure of 26 tricycles and 106 vehicles, for contravening the traffic laws in the state.

Hundeyin, said that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Alabi,has directed that the enforcement of the ban on commercial motorcycles in some local governments in the state would be continuous a continuous excecise in order to restore sanity to the affected areas.

“The enforcement has to be continuous to maintain the tempo that we have attained within so short a time. Many of the seized motorcycles have been crushed, but the most important message that we want to pass across is compliance so that the government does not have to crush any motorcycles,” the police commissioner added.

In June 2022, 1,885 motorcycles were impounded for contravening the ban. A decline was recorded in July with 1,501 motorcycles impounded while August and September saw the impoundment of 1,029 and 279 motorcycles respectively.

” Out of the 1,709 persons arrested for contravening traffic laws, and committing other offences in the state, 131 suspects were screened out while a total of 1,578 were charged to court, leading to the conviction of 1,490.Out of the 1,578 suspects prosecuted, eight had their cases struck out, 11 were discharged while 69 were still awaiting trial”.

The review, among other reasons, came on the hills of the killing of a sound engineer, David Imoh, by suspected commercial motorcyclists in the Lekki area of the state.

Following the tragic incident, a ban was placed on the operations of commercial motorcyclists in six local government areas, consisting of Eti Osa, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland and Apapa.

The enforcement of the ban began on June 1 with security agents patrolling the listed LGAs for errant motorcyclists who had been protesting against the ban.

The government later extended the ban to four more LGAs consisting of Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Shomolu, and Mushin, on August 18.