The police in Lagos have arrested 28 suspected miscreants and handed them over to the Task Force on Environment for prosecution.
The suspects were arrested during a raid of the court premises to rid it of touts who usually crowded the place.
It was gathered that the raid was sequel to a petition from the state Chief Judge, Justice Funmilayo Atilade to the Police Commissioner complaining about the activities of charlatans.
According to the command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police (SP), 48 persons were apprehended during the raid but 20 were able to provide evidence of means of livelihood and why they were around the premises.
She said: “Based on the complaint from the Chief Judge through the Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni, that all sorts of unholy activities are being carried out on daily basis at the premises of the magistrate court and with a directive to ensure sanity in the premises, officers visited the court around 9am and 48 persons were arrested.
“After painstakingly listening to them, a total of 28 persons could not defend their presence in the premises, while others gave satisfactory account of their mission in the court, such as witnesses, workers and owners of business centres.
“These people who have evidence to proof they have genuine business in court were released, while 28 persons were sent to Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences, popularly called Lagos Task force, Alausa for prosecution.”