Clampdown on ‘Omotaku’: Taskforce nabs 32 miscreants across Lagos

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

The Lagos State Taskforce on Tuesday arrested 32 suspects during a coordinated enforcement operation across major roads on the Island and Mainland, as part of renewed efforts to curb street nuisance, illegal road obstruction and other criminal activities in the state.

The operation, carried out on January 6, 2026, followed repeated complaints from members of the public over the activities of street urchins, popularly known as “Omotaku,” who were accused of posing safety risks and harassing motorists on major highways.

Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Adetayo Akerele, through Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Taskforce, Abdulraheem
Gbadeyan, said the exercise was part of the agency’s ongoing clean-up and enforcement drive aimed at restoring sanity and public safety on Lagos roads.

According to Akerele, “The operation was necessitated by growing concerns raised by residents through social media platforms and radio stations about the menace of street urchins causing nuisance and endangering road users.”

Areas covered during the raid include: Apongbon, Fadeyi, Jibowu, Yaba Phase 1, Lagos Island, Palmgrove, Ojuelegba, Surulere and other adjoining routes across the Island and Mainland.

According to him, operatives observed the suspects unlawfully stopping articulated vehicles, including petroleum tankers, trucks, trailers, lorries and private cars, thereby obstructing traffic and creating safety hazards.

“During the operation, 32 suspects were apprehended for constituting public nuisance, illegal road obstruction and violations of the Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018 and the Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017,” Akerele said.

He added that some of the suspects were found smoking substances suspected to be hard drugs and Indian hemp.

Akerele, reiterated the agency’s resolve to ensure public safety across the state.

“The Taskforce will leave no stone unturned in combing all nooks and crannies of Lagos to rid the state of miscreants and bring offenders to justice,” he vowed.

Akerele noted that the operation led to the restoration of order in all the affected areas, adding that all suspects arrested during the exercise have been charged to court.

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