Lagos Police Arrest 38 Foreign Nationals and Seize 14 Firearms in Crackdown

By Evelyn Usman

The Lagos State Police Command arrested 38 foreign nationals in Epe, Lagos State, after intelligence indicated a large number of foreigners were occupying a building there.

Commissioner of Police Fatai Tijani of the Lagos State Command said the operation was launched following credible intelligence that suggested suspicious activity by the building’s occupants.

He clarified that the arrested foreigners were not connected to individuals featured in a recent viral video that sparked public concern.

According to the police commissioner, those arrested include 14 Chinese nationals, nine Cameroonians, four Beninese, four Malaysians, two Togolese and one Ghanaian.

Tijani noted that preliminary investigations raised concerns because many suspects could not provide satisfactory explanations for their activities in Nigeria.

“We got information that there were lots of foreign nationals occupying a particular building. We went into action and arrested 14 Chinese nationals, nine Cameroonians, four Beninese, four Malaysians, two Togolese and one Ghanaian,” he said.

He added that some suspects claimed to be involved in networking businesses but could not adequately explain the nature of those operations.

“What’s important is that all these people that were arrested could not give satisfactory accounts of themselves. They could not specifically tell us what they were doing in Nigeria. Some claimed they were into networking, but they could not explain exactly what that meant,” the CP stated.

The commissioner said the suspects are currently being profiled to determine any links to criminal activity before being handed over to the appropriate authorities.

Preliminary findings, according to him, revealed that 20 of the arrested foreigners entered Nigeria illegally, while 18 possessed valid ECOWAS travel documents.

He said the matter has been referred to the Nigeria Immigration Service and the embassies of the affected countries for further investigation and necessary action.

Tijani also highlighted other operational successes in June, including arrests related to armed robbery, cultism, unlawful possession of firearms, vandalism, conspiracy and other violent crimes.

He disclosed that the operations recovered 14 firearms, four live cartridges, 51 mobile phones, two Vehicle Engine Control Units (ECUs) – popularly known as brain boxes – vandalised electrical cables, knives and other incriminating items.

The commissioner said these achievements demonstrate the effectiveness of intelligence‑led policing and proactive crime‑prevention strategies adopted by the command.

He reaffirmed the Lagos State Police Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring that criminal elements have no safe haven in the state.

“The Command wishes to reassure all residents of Lagos State that there will be no safe haven for criminal elements within the State. We therefore urge members of the public to continue partnering with the Police by providing timely, useful and credible information capable of supporting crime prevention, prompt operational response and effective law enforcement,” he said.