Femi Ashekun/
A massive police operation on Sunday around the Oko Filling bus stop along the LASU, Iyana Ipaja Expressway in Lagos triggered widespread concern after officers raided and set ablaze a sprawling dump site believed by many residents to have been occupied by hoodlums.
The operation, which took place close to Alimosho General Hospital, saw a heavy deployment of security personnel, with eyewitnesses reporting dozens of police patrol vehicles converging on the area from different parts of the state.
Residents said scores of hoodlums occupying makeshift structures at the dump site were arrested during the operation, while the settlement was subsequently razed.
Residents told our correspondent that the operation began on Saturday and continued into surrounding parts of the Ikotun, Igando axis of Alimosho, extending to the busy Governors Road.
According to residents, security operatives also targeted suspected cultists during the sweep, suggesting that the exercise was broader than the raid on the Oko Filling dump site and formed part of a wider crackdown on criminal elements in the area.
Although the Lagos State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement as of the time of publication, residents speculated that the operation targeted a suspected criminal or terrorist hideout.
Videos and eyewitness accounts shared on X showed thick smoke billowing from the location as security operatives maintained a strong presence around the area.
Several residents reported hearing repeated gunshots during the operation, although it was not immediately clear whether the shots were fired by police officers, suspects, or both.
One eyewitness wrote, “Bro, that Lanre, Oko Filling along Igando, Isheri Road, that place where shady people stay is a bandits’ hideout. Lagos State forces mounted there this morning. They were packing all those people and burning the whole place down.”
Another resident posted, “What is going on in Ikotun, Igando Road? Never seen police this much on the road in my whole life.”
A third eyewitness said, “I’ve seen more than 15 patrol vans from Igando to Lanre. Wetin dey sup?”
Others claimed they heard sustained gunfire.
One resident wrote, “No wonder I just dey hear gunshot this morning.”
Another added, “Someone said shots have been fired more than 10 times.”
Some social media users alleged that the occupants resisted the operation.
“Rumours are the people fired back at the police when they came to chase them away,” one post claimed.
However, The claims could not be independently verified, and there was no official confirmation of any exchange of gunfire or casualties.
The dramatic operation also fuelled fresh concerns among residents of Idimu and Ikotun, with several claiming they had noticed unusually large numbers of Hausa Fulani men gathering in their neighbourhoods following the raid.
Some residents expressed fears that many of those who escaped the operation may have dispersed into surrounding communities, although there is currently no official evidence to support those claims.
“I just passed there. I was surprised. It looked like police from all the divisions in Lagos were there,” another eyewitness posted.
Others questioned whether the operation was connected to a major anti-drug crackdown or a broader security exercise.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Police Command had not released any statement explaining the objective of the operation, the number of arrests made, whether weapons or other exhibits were recovered, or whether any suspects had been linked to terrorism or other criminal offences.
Click on link to join our WhatsApp channel:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaH43zJGJP88wNggvZ16
0
