A five-man syndicate that specialised in mounting illegal roadblocks to forcefully collect illegal tolls from commercial bus drivers and Okada riders has been arrested.
The suspects were arrested by the Special Security Squad of the Itire-Ikate LCDA led by the Senior Special Adviser to the council chairman, Comrade Oshodi John Ayodele on Wednesday.
According to Ayodele, the suspects who identified themselves as ‘Mushin boys’ harassed motorists and other road users for selfish gain.
Their act, he stated, violated the several warnings of the Council chairman, Hon. Ahmed Olanrewaju Apatira to desist from such illegal activities but they didn’t yield to it.
He added, “The touts were arrested for illegal toll collection. They said they were from Mushin. Few months ago, these same Mushin boys ran after a private car from Ijesha market to Jimoh Agunbiade in a desperate attempt to extort the owner. Lives were almost lost during the chase.
Meanwhile, the LCDA Council chairman, Hon. Ahmed Apatira has issued a stern warning to these miscreants, not to operate in Itire-Ikate, as their illegal operations are being deemed as taking place within the LCDA, while they are not actually from Itire-Ikate.
“They have been trespassing and harassing innocent commercial drivers and Okada riders for some time now. Five of them were spotted on Wednesday while harassing an Okada rider. One of our officials asked them to let the rider go and queried them on the authority and law backing them for such duties. They claimed they were from Mushin.
“We decided to lodge a formal complaint at the Ijeshatedo Police Station. Officers from the station mobilised to the scene and apprehended the leader of the gang.
“The Mushin boys always access itire- Ikate LCDA through the boundaries of Ijesha market, Otun Oba, and Lawanson bus stop. In the process of this illegal toll collection, a minibus was hit and they were made to pay for repair before they were free.”
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