Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Lagos State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its two-week intelligence-led crackdown, arresting 118 suspects, dismantling a telecom infrastructure vandalism syndicate, and uncovering a disturbing pattern of ex-convicts returning to violent crime. While the sheer number of arrests is newsworthy, two developments stand out: the bust of a gang that stole over 650 telecom power batteries worth millions of naira, and the arrest of a 38-year-old man who admitted to rejoining a secret cult just months after completing a prison sentence. The command paraded the suspects on Wednesday, 30 April 2026, at the headquarters in Ikeja, showcasing a haul that includes firearms, Indian hemp, and stolen telecommunications equipment.
The telecom infrastructure vandalism syndicate was exposed after Globacom Nigeria tipped off the police about a staggering loss of more than 650 power assets between 2025 and 2026. According to the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, officers arrested a prime suspect, Orji Emeka, in Ikeja. Emeka’s confession led detectives to two accomplices, Obiagwu Kingsley and Oluwatosin Sani, in Alausa and Ikorodu, where nine stolen telecom power batteries were recovered. The arrest represents a rare victory against the organised theft of critical national infrastructure, which has cost telecom operators billions of naira and contributed to network outages across Lagos.
In another disturbing sign, police arrested 38-year-old Emmanuel Ogbu, who reportedly confessed to returning to cult activities after previously serving a jail term in 2018. Ogbu’s case highlights a worrying trend: the failure of rehabilitation programmes and the ease with which convicted criminals reintegrate into violent networks. The police noted that cultism and cult-related violence constitute a bulk of crime incidents in Lagos, and they warned parents and politically exposed persons to stop shielding or encouraging such vices among the youth.
The crackdown also netted two suspects, 23-year-old Elijah Emmanuel and 21-year-old Tony Ekwane Oghanetega, linked to the kidnapping and gruesome murder of 17-year-old Thomson Omokhafe Adams, a UTME candidate who was lured to an Ikorodu apartment and strangled. The duo confessed to also kidnapping and murdering a female victim in November 2025, collecting a ransom of N300,000 before killing her. They will face murder charges.
Other significant arrests include 58 suspects rounded up in Ilasan, Lekki, and Maroko for traffic robbery and phone snatching, eight cultists arrested in Iwaya, and 20 linked to rival confraternity clashes on Lagos Island. The total exhibits recovered include 11 locally fabricated Beretta pistols, one English-made Beretta, a cut-to-size pistol, two Dane guns, nine telecom power batteries, and 21 bags of suspected Indian hemp. The police have vowed to sustain the offensive, noting that criminals will find no safe haven in Lagos. All suspects will be charged in court after profiling.
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