By MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

LAGOS — THE Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special offences, yesterday, arrested 13 teenagers and 68 suspected members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, found extorting motorists on highways in the state.

Chairman of Task force, CSP Bayo Sulaimon disclosed that development was part of the agency’s renewed efforts at enforcing the 2012 Lagos Traffic Law which prohibited touting on highways.

Of the 68 hoodlums arrested, 10 were touts, who specialised in extorting motorists whose vehicles broke down on the highways while the 13 teenage hoodlums were found at the railway line in Oshodi.

Sulaimon said: “This is another demonstration of war against Agbero again; we will not allow them to take over the state.

“They were arrested when our men raided Oshodi, Ketu, Ojota and other areas in the state. Some of them were arrested when our men disguise like one of them.

“The 13 teenage miscreants were arrested early in the morning in Oshodi at the Railway line. They refused to tell us whether they have relatives in the state or not; we are thinking of what to do with them in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Social Development.

“They are below 18 years of age, they will not be arraigned in court. Every time we raid and clear the Oshodi of miscreants, new set of thugs keep coming there.

“We arrested almost 98 of them recently. We just have to continue to mount pressure on the place because different under-aged boys who left their different homes and assembled at this place.

“Some of them might be taken to Boys’ Remind Home in Abeokuta that can take care of the hardened ones among them.”