The Lagos State Police Command has paraded 118 suspects arrested across various parts of Lagos for alleged involvement in cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, and other criminal activities.
Speaking to journalists on April 30, 2026, the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, said the arrests followed a series of intelligence-led operations and coordinated raids targeting crime hotspots across the state.
Among those paraded was 38-year-old Emmanuel Ogbu, who reportedly admitted returning to cult activities after serving a prison sentence in 2018 for a similar offence.
Police described his case as part of a growing concern over repeat offenders.
The command revealed that on April 27, 2026, operatives carried out raids in Ilasan, Lekki, and Maroko, leading to the arrest of 58 suspects linked to street violence, phone snatching, and armed attacks.
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The suspects were said to operate in groups, targeting unsuspecting residents especially around traffic-prone areas before fleeing with stolen valuables.
Recovered items included 11 locally made Beretta pistols, one cut-to-size pistol, a standard Beretta pistol, two Dane guns, nine telecom power batteries, four cutlasses, a knife, 21 bags of suspected Indian hemp, and various charms.
In a separate operation, police arrested two suspects Elijah Emmanuel (23) and Tony Ekwane Oghanetega (21) in connection with a kidnapping incident in the Lucy Fibre area of Ikorodu.
They are alleged to have abducted and killed 17-year-old Thomson Omokhafe Adams on April 22, 2026.
Investigators further linked the duo to another case from November 30, 2025, involving the kidnapping and killing of a woman after collecting a ransom of ₦300,000.
The police also reported progress in a separate investigation into the theft of over 650 telecom power assets between 2025 and 2026.
Suspects arrested include Orji Emeka in Ikeja, who led officers to Alausa where Obiagwu Kingsley was apprehended, and Oluwatosin Sani, arrested in the Gbogbo area of Ikorodu with nine telecom batteries recovered.
Additionally, eight suspected cultists were arrested during a raid in Iwaya on April 22, while 20 others linked to cult-related violence and armed robbery were apprehended on Lagos Island on April 20.
Police say the suspects are believed to belong to rival confraternities, including the Aiye and Eiye groups, allegedly responsible for violent clashes recorded earlier in April.
Tijani assured that investigations are ongoing and all suspects will be charged to court upon completion of interrogations and forensic analysis.
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