Police arrest 153 suspects, recover guns, drugs in Lagos Operation

Police arrest 153 suspects, recover guns, drugs in Lagos Operation

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 153 suspected criminals and recovered firearms, illicit drugs, unregistered motorcycles and other suspected stolen items during a major security operation in the Igando area of Lagos as part of the ongoing Operation KO S’AYE launched to combat kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes across Lagos and Ogun states.

The intelligence-led operation, conducted in the early hours of Sunday, targeted criminal hideouts around the Boolar dumpsite near Okofilling Bus Stop and other identified black spots within the Area M, Idimu policing axis, where suspected hoodlums were believed to be operating.

According to the Lagos State Police Command, the coordinated raid commenced at about 5:45 a.m. after operatives received credible intelligence on the activities of criminal elements in the area.

Police operatives drawn from different formations of the command simultaneously stormed the identified hideouts, leading to the arrest of 153 suspects without major resistance.

During the operation, officers recovered 100 unregistered motorcycles, 54 mobile phones, one double-barrel gun, two single-barrel guns, one locally made double-barrel short gun, two military camouflage uniforms, assorted charms, six generators suspected to have been stolen, substances suspected to be Indian hemp, and various quantities of illicit drugs.

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The command said the operation forms part of its sustained strategy to dismantle criminal networks, clear identified black spots and ensure there are no safe havens for criminals anywhere in Lagos State.

Confirming the operation in a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said the raid was aimed at flushing out hoodlums, suspected cultists, armed robbers, drug traffickers and other criminal elements allegedly terrorising residents within the Idimu-Igando axis.

He disclosed that all the suspects are currently in police custody while investigations continue to determine each individual’s level of involvement in the alleged criminal activities.

According to the police, suspects found to have committed criminal offences will be prosecuted in accordance with the law after investigations are concluded.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, commended the officers involved in the operation for their professionalism, courage and commitment to duty.

He reaffirmed the command’s determination to sustain Operation KO S’AYE, stressing that similar intelligence-driven operations would continue across Lagos to dismantle criminal hideouts, disrupt organised crime and improve public safety.

The police commissioner also appealed to residents to continue partnering with security agencies by providing timely and credible information capable of helping law enforcement identify criminal hideouts, arrest offenders and prevent crimes before they occur.

Operation KO S’AYE was recently launched by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, as a special security initiative covering Lagos and Ogun states following growing concerns over kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes along the Lagos-Ogun corridor.

The operation combines intelligence gathering, coordinated raids, bush-combing exercises and increased patrols in forests, border communities and other vulnerable locations considered potential hideouts for criminal gangs.

Within days of its inauguration, the operation had already recorded several breakthroughs, including the rescue of kidnapped victims, the arrest of suspected kidnappers and the recovery of firearms in separate operations across Lagos and Ogun states.

Security experts say the latest arrests highlight the renewed emphasis on intelligence-led policing by the Nigeria Police Force, noting that sustained collaboration between residents and security agencies will be critical to dismantling criminal networks and strengthening public confidence in law enforcement.

They also believe that continued clearance of criminal hideouts and enhanced surveillance of high-risk communities could significantly reduce violent crimes and improve security across the Lagos metropolitan area and neighbouring Ogun State.

Police arrest 153 suspects, recover guns, drugs in Lagos Operation