By Christopher Oji

Related News

The popular Akala Street, Mushin, Lagos, a notorious illicit drug enclave, was raided at the weekend by operatives of Lagos State Task Force and the Lagos State Police command. During the operation tagged, ‘Eradication of Criminal Hideouts,’ 50 notorious drug dealers were arrested while 48 bags of assorted illicit drugs were recovered.
The raid was carried out under the directive of Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, who has vowed to eradicate all criminal hideouts and drug joints in the state.
The mid night joint operation was led by Area D Commander, ACP Soji Akinbayo, Chairman, Lagos State Task Force, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, and all Divisional Police Officers under Area ‘D’ Command, Mushin. Egbeyemi disclosed that 44 male and six female suspects were arrested during the raid.
Egbeyemi said that 48 bags of substance suspected to be Indian hemp and packs of other illicit drugs such as Novalyn with codeine cough syrub and Tuxil-C with codeine were recovered during the raid. He added that his agency and other officers were battle ready to maintain zero tolerance on criminal activities across the State as directed by the CP. He commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for giving priority to security in the state and supporting the police and the task force with needed working materials.
One of the suspects, Adesoye a.k.a Malboro, disclosed that Akala serves as central market for Indian hemp and illicit drugs to all miscreants across the state. He confessed further that he sold an average of N500.000 worth of Indian hemp with other illicit drugs per day to his customers from Obalende, Oshodi, Pen-cinema, Apapa, Lagos Island and Fadeyi, among other places. A female suspect, Basirat a.k.a Iya Suzzy, who hails from Ibadan in Oyo State, volunteered that she has been trading in Indian hemp and other illicit drugs at Akala area for over 17 years.
The suspects were charged before Magistrate Lateef Owolabi of the Lagos State Mobile Court on three-count charge bothering on unlawful possession of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, trading in Indian hemp and conduct likely to cause breach of peace/disorderly manner.