The Police in Lagos, in an evening opening, have arrested some hoodlums who are in the habit of smoking Indian hemp in Gowon Estate, near Egbeda area of Lagos, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The arrest was sequel to complaint by the residents over increasing illegal sales and rampant smoking of hemp in most parts of the estate by youths and suspected criminals.
A reliable source at the Gowon Estate Police Station told NAN that the suspects were arrested in the act, following a tip-off by residents.
The residents had on Dec. 3, wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, to save them from the menace of hemp smokers.
“In most cases, the smell of the substance takes over flats, thereby making it impossible for occupants to breathe properly.
“Following this development, life has become traumatic for residents to open their windows for fresh air because of the pervasive and injurious hemp smoke from these elements,’’ they complained.
The residents also said that the lives of their children were equally being endangered by this band of criminals, saying that criminals now took advantage of the ugly situation to burgle flats and shops in the area.
When contacted, the Lagos Police Spokesman, DSP Bala Elkana, confirmed the arrest, saying that they got information on Thursday at about 10 p.m.
According to Elkana, some hoodlums do converge and constitute nuisance by smoking India hemp.
“The DPO Gowon Estate led his men to the scene and arrested the suspects who were found with the exhibit and the suspects have been transferred to Taskforce office, Oshodi.
“They will be charged to court,” he said. (NAN)