Lagos Police Arrest 80 Suspects, Recover Firearms, Six Vehicles

By Adebola Muili

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 80 suspects and recovered firearms, ammunition, six vehicles and other exhibits in various operations conducted across the state in the early days of October 2026.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing on the Command’s notable operational successes recorded in the month.

Fatai said the operations focused on tackling armed robbery, vandalism, traffic robbery, fraudulent recruitment, vehicle theft and other criminal activities across Lagos.

Among the items recovered were four Beretta pistols, eight locally made pistols, four live 9mm ammunition, seven vehicle number plates, six mobile phones, six battle axes, four cutlasses, a toy gun, vandalised iron materials and electrical wires, as well as five sacks of suspected illicit drugs.

According to the Commissioner, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on actionable intelligence, engaged suspected armed robbers in a gun duel at their hideout along Gasikia Road, Ijora-Badia, on October 4.

He said two suspects were neutralised, one escaped, while another suspect, identified as Patrick Azure, 26, was arrested.

Two Beretta pistols and four rounds of live 9mm ammunition were recovered during the operation.

“Preliminary investigation indicates that the gang was preparing for an operation before the intervention of the Police,” Fatai said.

In another operation, three suspected armed robbers were arrested in connection with alleged robbery operations along the Ife Expressway in Osun State, where about five vehicles were reportedly snatched and valuables estimated at N50 million allegedly carted away.

The suspects were identified as Chubuzor Anasihwe, 31; Uchena Steven, 26; and Ejike Ani, 31.

One Toyota van with registration number BDJ 180 AJ, Oyo State, was recovered, while the suspects were said to be assisting the Police in efforts to recover other stolen vehicles and apprehend other members of the gang.

The Command also arrested nine suspects over alleged vandalism along the Coastal Road, recovering vandalised iron materials and electrical wires.

Fatai further disclosed the arrest of 19 suspects, comprising 17 males and two females, in Tori-Lovi Community, Age-Mowo, over alleged fraudulent recruitment activities.

He said the suspects allegedly lured members of the public with purported employment opportunities which turned out to be fraudulent.

Also arrested were 29 suspects allegedly involved in traffic robbery and the dispossession of motorists and other members of the public along the Lekki-Epe axis.

In Ikorodu, Police operatives arrested a suspected receiver of stolen vehicles, Adekoya Adekunle, 43, at his residence in Ishawo Agric.

Four vehicles and seven vehicle number plates were recovered during the operation.

The vehicles included an unregistered black Lexus RX 330 Jeep, a white 2018 Toyota Camry with registration number JJJ 777 EG, a white 1999 Toyota Camry with registration number DE 909 SMK, and a red Ford vehicle with registration number KTU 203 RU.

According to Fatai, preliminary investigation showed that the suspect, who claimed to be a mechanic and spare-parts dealer, allegedly specialised in receiving stolen vehicles from members of a criminal gang.

He said the suspect confessed to purchasing the Lexus RX 330 Jeep for N3.5 million in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

The Commissioner also disclosed the arrest of 14 suspected thugs and public nuisance offenders in Maroko.

He said the Command also arrested Muhammad Garuba Alabi, an alleged gang leader, over the reported attack, robbery and vandalism of a Nigerian Army officer and his family in Itire.

The incident reportedly occurred on October 4 when hoodlums allegedly blocked the victim’s vehicle, assaulted him and his wife, dispossessed them of N300,000 and vandalised the vehicle.

In Ikeja, the Police arrested Emmanuel Amadi, 28, over the alleged robbery, drugging and theft of three mobile phones belonging to a female victim.

The phones, valued at about N3.02 million, were recovered from the suspect’s residence.

Three other suspects — Achigbe Daniel, 25; Francis Eze, 38; and Perefua Andrew, 38 — were arrested over alleged armed robbery and phone-snatching incidents around Westminster and Marine Bridge.

Three mobile phones suspected to have been stolen during the incidents were recovered from them.

The Command also arrested Christopher Inyiekwe over the alleged theft of a 2015 Toyota Corolla, which he allegedly stole from his uncle in Enugu and brought to Lagos for disposal.

Fatai said the Command also recovered suspected illicit drugs, cutlasses, battle axes and other items during raids on locations suspected to be criminal hideouts.

The Commissioner assured residents that the Command would sustain its operations against criminal elements and organised criminal networks across the state.

“The Command will continue to pursue criminal elements, dismantle organised criminal networks and protect critical public infrastructure across the State,” he said.

He urged residents, community leaders and other stakeholders to continue providing timely and credible information to the Police, stressing that security remained a shared responsibility.

Fatai added that the Command would ensure that the rights of suspects were respected and due process followed in accordance with the law.