Police demolish criminal hideouts in Ishawo creeks

• Arrest 13 suspected kidnappers

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command yesterday deployed to the riverine area of Ishawo community in Ikorodu to begin the demolition of illegal waterfront shanties within the creeks, where criminal elements hibernate to perpetrate their nefarious activities.

The state’s Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who briefed newsmen in Ishawo on the ongoing operations in the creeks by a combined team of the State Marine Police, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), mobile policemen and men from the anti-kidnapping squad, in coordination with the local vigilance group, said 13 suspected kidnappers have already been arrested and are currently aiding the team to track down the remaining suspects on the run.

It would be recalled that two weeks ago, four policemen and an Army Captain lost their lives after an ambush were unleashed on them by suspected militants in Ishawo. Owoseni said the governor immediately ordered a joint operation to hunt down the perpetrators, adding that the operation was yielding positive results.

“Following that attack, we deployed operatives to the water. We are here to appraise what we have been doing for the past one week. Quality arrests have been made and the suspects are giving us vital information on tracking the rest of the hoodlums.

“Earlier this morning, the team was able to get to the proper camps of these criminal elements where they saw some of them cooking food. They fled immediately they saw the combined team. We just feel that we should take a decision to destroy the camps. The destruction of the camps is ongoing, that is why we are here,” he said.