Police nab 118 suspects, recover arms in Lagos crackdown

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos.

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 118 suspected criminals and recovered assorted firearms and ammunition in coordinated operations carried out across the state in April 2026.

The State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja.

He said the suspects were arrested in connection with cases of armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, vandalism and other violent crimes across different parts of Lagos State.

CP Tijani explained that the achievements were recorded through intelligence-led policing and rapid response operations sustained throughout the period under review.

“The arrests and recoveries were made possible through sustained intelligence-driven operations and swift tactical responses across the state,” he said.

Recovered items include 11 locally fabricated Beretta-type pistols, one English-made pistol, two Dane guns, nine telecommunications batteries, cutlasses, charms, and suspected hard drugs.

In one of the major operations, operatives arrested 58 suspected hoodlums, popularly known as “Otaku Boys,” along the Lekki corridor for alleged involvement in harassment, extortion of motorists, and attacks on residents.

The Command also confirmed the arrest of two suspects linked to the abduction and killing of a 17-year-old boy, Thompson Adams, in Ikorodu. The Commissioner said investigations showed the victim was abducted, tortured and killed before his body was dumped in a remote location.

He further disclosed that the suspects were also connected to the killing of a female victim in 2025 after allegedly collecting a ransom of ₦300,000 from her family.

In another development, police uncovered a syndicate involved in the theft of telecommunications infrastructure, leading to the recovery of nine stolen telecom batteries in Ikeja and Ikorodu.

Additional arrests were also carried out during raids targeting suspected cultists and armed robbery gangs in Lagos Island, Ajah, Festac and adjoining areas.

CP Tijani reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining security operations across Lagos State and urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to aid police activities.