No fewer than 51 people have been arrested by the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit
The suspects were arrested in connection with a highway gang renowned for harassing and extorting truck drivers.
Mr Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, the agency’s Public Relations Officer who disclosed this in a press statement on Tuesday in Lagos said the suspects were apprehended by the agency on Monday while conducting special operations along the Apapa-Oshodi and Lagos-Badagry Expressways.
The organization allegedly employed forceful techniques to persuade truck drivers into giving them money, pretending to work for the now-defunct Lagos State Parks and Garage Agency.
Abdulraheem stated that the gang has been accused of violent and coercive behaviour, such as injuring drivers and engaging in acts of intimidation when faced with resistance
“We have been on the trail of this gang for a while after receiving several complaints from road users who ply the corridors.
“We even heard of instances of drivers who refused to comply and later faced violent threats, including the removal of essential truck components such as batteries and mirrors right on the expressway,” he said.