Rioters assault Lagos enforcement team, set fire to rail line

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By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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LAGOS — Chaos erupted on Thursday at the Fagba Railway Corridor when suspected miscreants and street urchins attacked men of the Lagos State Taskforce, setting parts of the railway on fire in a bid to resist arrest and evade law enforcement.

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The operation, coordinated by the agency’s Chairman, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Adetayo Akerele, forms part of the taskforce’s zero-tolerance approach to criminality and ongoing cleanup enforcement across the state.

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CSP Akerele said the Fagba corridor had become a hotspot for criminal activities, including robbery, rape, cultism, drug peddling, illegal brothels using underage girls, and attacks on moving trains and passengers. “In response to growing concerns, the agency carried out a targeted raid to restore order and safety,” he stated.

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The enforcement exercise covered areas including Alfa Nla, Okekoto, Pen Cinema in Agege, and Fagba Railway Corridor. During the operation, officers encountered pockets of resistance from the miscreants, who escalated the situation by setting parts of the railway on fire, threatening nearby facilities such as Sunbeth Filling Station and the Zenith Bank branch.

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The fire was eventually contained with the help of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and normalcy was restored. CSP Akerele confirmed that all arrested suspects would be prosecuted under the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017 and urged youths to shun criminal activities, stressing that “crime is not a career.”

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He added that this was the third operation of its kind in the area and reaffirmed the taskforce’s commitment to sustaining public safety and eliminating criminal hideouts across Lagos State.

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