Arewa community in Lagos demands apology over arrest of 123 youths

Patrick Okohue

The Arewa Community in Lagos State yesterday demanded for a public apology over the arrest of 123 youths that came into the state from the North.

Some youths from the North were recently arrested by the Lagos State Taskforce, but were later set free.

But speaking yesterday, the Secretary of the Arewa Community in Lagos State, Alhaji Musa Saleh condemned the arrest.

He said the arrest of the innocent youths created unnecessary tension in the country adding that the agency concerned should issue a public apology.

“We want the Lagos State taskforce to publicly apologise to the youths and the poeple of Arewa for hurting their sensibility. We also want the agency to release the seized Motorcycles without any further delay because the Motorcycles were still on transit,” Musa said.

“The extant Lagos traffic Law did not outrightly place a total restrictions on Motorcycles but place restrictions on certain routes they are not to ply,” Musa said while calling on other members of the community for calm.

It was gathered that the 123 Northern youths were released on Saturday by the Nigeria Police in Lagos after their arrest on Friday while on transit from Jigawa.

Musa who appealed for calm from all members of the community and other well meaning Nigerians across the country, said the youths were arrested following an alarm raised by members of the public who sighted them and became suspicious based on security concern.

“The Arewa people have been law abiding and will continue to remain law abiding and willing partners in the development of Lagos and Nigeria as a whole,” Musa said while advising all Lagosians to go about their normal business assuring that there is no cause for alarm as movements in and out of Lagos of people from Northern Nigeria has been an age long trade for business activities.