LAGOS POLICE FOIL KIDNAPPINGS, ARREST SUSPECTS IN MAJOR CRIME CRACKDOWN
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By Odola F.A
The Lagos State Police Command has detained two Pakistani nationals and several other suspects for various crimes committed between February 27 and March 9. The command’s spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja on Monday.
Among those arrested were two Pakistani nationals involved in the abduction of their fellow countryman, whom they lured to Lagos under the guise of offering him a job as a chef. The 48-year-old victim arrived in Lagos on February 28 and was received at the airport by the suspects. However, on March 1, the suspects overpowered him in his hotel room, tied his hands and legs, and robbed him of $2,000, three ATM cards, his green card, driver’s license, and national identity number slip. They then demanded a ransom of N50 million from the victim’s boss in Kano, who managed to pay N1 million before the police intervened.
Upon receiving a distress call, operatives raided the location where the victim was being held, successfully rescuing him unharmed and arresting two suspects aged 19 and 28, while five others escaped. A Toyota Camry with registration number EDO-SGD-AE was recovered, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspects.
In a separate incident, a couple identified as Emmanuel and Mmesoma Okafor were arrested for allegedly kidnapping an online vendor in the Iyana-Isashi area. The victim had gone to deliver a product when she was forcibly dragged inside a house by the suspects. She was stripped, beaten, and had her nude pictures taken as the suspects demanded a N2 million ransom, threatening to release the images if she failed to comply. The victim managed to pay N300,000 on the spot before being freed, but she later reported the incident to the police. The couple was tracked down and arrested, and they are currently in custody as investigations continue.
Other notable arrests made by the command include the detention of a 35-year-old suspected cultist for allegedly shooting a Disc Jockey (DJ) dead at a hotel in the Abule-Ado area. The suspect and his accomplices stormed the hotel, shot the DJ on stage, and inflicted machete wounds on him. The police responded swiftly, apprehending the suspect while he attempted to escape toward Festac. A locally made shotgun with one live cartridge was recovered from him.
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On March 8, two suspects were also arrested for alleged murder following a fight in Victoria Island that resulted in the death of a 25-year-old victim. The victim sustained severe injuries and was rushed to Lagos Island General Hospital, where he was confirmed dead. Detectives promptly visited the scene, arrested the two individuals involved in the altercation, and commenced investigations.
The police also rescued three kidnap victims who were abducted while inspecting land for an airport project along the Lekki-Epe Expressway. As the victims were about to enter their car, five armed men emerged and abducted them. The anti-kidnapping unit intervened, forcing the kidnappers to abandon their victims and flee.
Additionally, the command rescued 27 foreigners from a human trafficking operation in Isheri-Osun. Acting on intelligence, operatives raided an apartment where the victims were locked up. The group consisted of 18 males and 19 females from Ghana and Benin Republic, who were lured to Nigeria under the false promise of job opportunities. Investigations are ongoing to determine if they were to be trafficked to another country.
In another case, a 26-year-old notorious cultist was arrested at Fagba Junction, Iju, during a stop-and-search operation. The suspect, who had been on the police’s wanted list for cult-related killings, was found with wraps of illicit drugs. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend his accomplices.
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