Segun Atanda/
At the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja, the April crime briefing by the Commissioner of Police, Tijani Olayiwola Fatai, opened a troubling window into the brutality of urban crime, and the increasingly coordinated response to it across Lagos.
At the heart of the briefing was a chilling revelation: a kidnapping syndicate that allegedly collected a ₦300,000 ransom from a victim’s family, only to kill the victim anyway.
Police said two suspects, aged 21 and 23, were arrested in Ikorodu following intelligence-led operations linking them to the abduction and murder of 17-year-old Thomson Omokhafe Adams on April 22, 2026. Further interrogation, according to the Command, uncovered their involvement in an earlier kidnapping on November 30, 2025, where a ransom was paid but the victim was still murdered.
The case, authorities said, underscores a disturbing pattern in which ransom payments no longer guarantee victims’ safety, a shift that heightens both fear and unpredictability in kidnapping incidents.
“This is a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of intelligence gathering and prompt police action,” Fatai told journalists, noting that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the network.
Beyond the kidnapping case, the Command raised fresh concerns over the proliferation of locally fabricated firearms, particularly Beretta-style pistols, now circulating within criminal networks.
Within the month under review, police recovered eleven locally fabricated Beretta pistols, alongside an English-made Beretta handgun, dane guns, and other weapons. Several of these were seized during arrests linked to robbery, cultism, and gun-running activities.
In one operation, two suspects were arrested while attempting to sell a Beretta pistol, allegedly supplied from outside the state. In another, a suspect apprehended on Anthony Bridge for attempted robbery was found with a cutlass, leading investigators to recover additional locally made pistols.
Security analysts say the rise of locally produced firearms complicates law enforcement efforts, as such weapons are cheaper, easier to conceal, and harder to trace than imported arms.
The Commissioner disclosed that a total of 118 suspects were arrested across Lagos in April for offences ranging from armed robbery and cultism to vandalism, drug-related crimes, and street violence.
Among the most significant operations was a coordinated raid across Ilasan, Lekki, and Maroko, where 58 suspects linked to street gangs were apprehended. Police said the group was responsible for traffic robbery, phone snatching, and harassment of residents.
Other operations targeted cult groups across Iwaya, Lagos Island, Ajao Estate, and Festac, leading to dozens of arrests and ongoing efforts to dismantle rival confraternities blamed for violent clashes.
The Command also reported a breakthrough in the theft of telecom infrastructure, following intelligence from Globacom.
Three suspects were arrested in connection with the theft of power batteries used to keep telecom networks operational, with nine units recovered. Police linked the syndicate to the disappearance of over 650 such assets between 2025 and 2026, a crime with far-reaching consequences for communication services and economic activity.
In addition to dismantling organised networks, the police highlighted swift responses to everyday crime incidents.
A robbery suspect was arrested shortly after dispossessing a commuter at Ayetoro Bus Stop, while another was intercepted on Anthony Bridge during an attempted attack. In both cases, investigations are ongoing to apprehend accomplices and recover additional weapons.
Fatai reiterated that the Command’s strategy remains firmly rooted in intelligence-led policing, strategic deployments, and proactive disruption of criminal operations.
He assured residents that criminal elements would find no safe haven anywhere in Lagos and urged the public to continue providing timely and credible information to support policing efforts.
“All suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations,” he said.
The April briefing presents a dual narrative: a city confronting increasingly ruthless criminal tactics, and a police command intensifying its response with targeted operations and measurable results.
For Lagosians, the takeaway is stark. The risks remain real, kidnappers who kill even after ransom, weapons produced within reach of the streets, but so too is the growing pressure on those networks.
In that tension lies the story of a city still fighting for control, one operation at a time.
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