Officials from the Rapid Response Squad, a unit of the Lagos State Police Command, have apprehended a driver for unlawfully transporting 15 children in a Volkswagen Passat car.
The driver, tasked with conveying the children to a beach, shockingly confined four of them in the car trunk, while the remaining 11 were crammed together inside the vehicle. This alarming incident came to light following reports from concerned citizens on the Lekki–Ikoyi Link Bridge around 8 p.m. last Sunday.
According to a statement issued by State Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja on Friday, preliminary investigations revealed that one child had previously collapsed under similar transportation conditions but fortunately recovered after receiving medical attention.
Hundeyin confirmed that the police promptly intervened and subsequently released the children to their parents, with the suspects slated to face charges in court.
“The State Commissioner of Police, CP Adegoke Fayoade, commends residents of Lagos State for their vigilance in promptly alerting the authorities to suspicious persons or incidents,” added the PPRO.
In a separate distressing development, the state police command rescued three toddlers allegedly confined in a room in Agodo-Egbe, Ikotun. The children, comprising a girl and two boys aged between two and four years, were reportedly locked up by their grandmother, Fatimo Ganiyu.
Members of the community, concerned about their absence, promptly notified the police on Wednesday, leading to their rescue.
These incidents underscore the importance of community vigilance and the decisive action of law enforcement agencies in safeguarding the welfare and safety of vulnerable individuals, particularly children, within Lagos State.