The Lagos state Police command has recorded sweeping operational successes within two weeks, arresting 118 suspects and recovering a cache of firearms, illicit substances, and other dangerous items in a sustained crackdown on criminal activities across the state.
Addressing journalists at Command Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos, during a press briefing, the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Olayiwola Fatai, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property through intelligence-led policing, strategic deployments, and rapid response operations.
According to him, the arrests cut across a wide spectrum of offences, including armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, vandalism, and street violence underscoring what he described as a “firm resolve to rid Lagos of criminal elements.”
Within the period under review, police recovered 11 locally fabricated Beretta pistols, one English-made Beretta pistol, a cut-to-size firearm, two dane guns, nine telecom power batteries, 21 bags of suspected Indian hemp, as well as cutlasses, charms, and other incriminating items.
One of the most notable operations occurred on April 27, when police raided criminal hideouts in Ilasan, Lekki, and Maroko, leading to the arrest of 58 suspects linked to traffic robbery, phone snatching, and harassment of residents. The suspects, police said, had been terrorising commuters along the Lekki corridor.
In a separate breakthrough, operatives arrested two suspected kidnappers in Ikorodu 23-year-old Elijah Emmanuel and 21-year-old Tony Ekwane Oghanetega, over their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of a 17-year-old victim, Thomson Omokhafe Adams.
Investigations further linked the duo to an earlier abduction and killing in November 2025, for which a ransom of N300,000 was reportedly paid.
The Command also dismantled a telecom vandalism syndicate following intelligence from Globacom Nigeria on the theft of over 650 power assets. Three suspects were arrested across Ikeja and Ikorodu, with nine stolen batteries recovered.
Anti-cultism operations yielded significant results, with multiple arrests recorded in Iwaya, Lagos Island, Ajao Estate, and Festac. In one instance, eight suspected cultists were apprehended during a midnight raid in Iwaya, while 20 others linked to violent confraternity clashes were arrested on Lagos Island.
Police also responded swiftly to robbery incidents, including the arrest of a 25-year-old suspect, Destiny Garuba, for dispossessing a victim at Ayetoro Bus Stop. On Anthony Bridge, another suspect was apprehended with weapons, leading to the recovery of additional firearms.
Further investigations uncovered a network of armed robbers and cultists allegedly responsible for the murder of Emmanuel Obioson in Ilasan. Five suspects have been arrested, while others remain at large.
In another operation, two young men were arrested for attempting to sell a Beretta pistol, with investigations tracing the weapon to a suspected supplier in Kaduna State who is currently being sought.
CP Fatai stressed that the Command’s ongoing mop-up of illegal arms has significantly disrupted criminal networks, noting that more arrests are expected as investigations continue.
He assured residents that Lagos would remain hostile territory for criminals, urging the public to support law enforcement agencies with timely and credible information.
“All suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations,” he said, reiterating the Command’s determination to sustain peace, safety, and public confidence across the state.
