Lekki Crackdown: LAGESC Smashes Illegal Oil Depot, Arrests 27 Suspects with Fake Naira

Lekki Crackdown: LAGESC Smashes Illegal Oil Depot, Arrests 27 Suspects with Fake Naira 

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), popularly known as KAI, has uncovered and dismantled an oil bunkering network operating within the upscale Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos.
The agency also arrested 27 suspects allegedly caught with stacks of counterfeit naira notes used to transact with unsuspecting residents and night-time vendors.

Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (rtd), announced the development at the agency’s headquarters in Bolade-Oshodi, describing the operation as a decisive move to protect public safety and stem rising environmental infractions across the state.

Cole was quoted in a statement by the Head, Public and Advocacy Unit, Ajayi Lukman as saying intelligence reports revealed the presence of an unauthorized oil depot and a concealed bunkering enclave at The Rock Drive, Lekki Phase 1. The illegal site, he said, was not only a serious environmental hazard but also a haven for miscreants engaged in illicit currency circulation.

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“We discovered through intelligence that the activities of this unlicensed depot were already endangering the environment and posing grave risks to residents,” Cole stated.
“The location provided cover for miscreants who used fake naira notes to transact at night, defrauding innocent Lagosians.”

He explained that operatives of LAGESC’s Special Squad stormed the premises, where they found makeshift storage structures, dozens of drums and jerrycans containing adulterated diesel, and evidence of ongoing illegal distribution activities.
The materials, according to him, were capable of triggering fire outbreaks, soil contamination, and severe health risks to residents and businesses in the neighbourhood.

Cole noted that the agency immediately disconnected all illegal supply links feeding the depot and secured the compound.
Twenty-seven suspects operating within the premises—many of whom were caught transacting with counterfeit naira notes—were arrested during the raid.

Reaffirming the agency’s commitment to environmental protection, Cole stressed that LAGESC would sustain its constant surveillance across Lagos to curb infractions and uphold the THEMES+ agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

He concluded by urging Lagos residents to prioritise the use of pedestrian bridges and other safety infrastructure in order to prevent avoidable accidents caused by speeding motorists.

Lekki Crackdown: LAGESC Smashes Illegal Oil Depot, Arrests 27 Suspects with Fake Naira