243 suspects arrested and 60 firearms seized in Lagos over three months — CP Fatai

By Evelyn Usman

The Lagos State Police Command announced that it has arrested 243 suspects for offences ranging from armed robbery and cultism to murder and traffic robbery between March and June 2026, according to Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai.

Fatai made the statement on Monday during a working visit by South‑West Coordinating Deputy Inspector‑General of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, to the Command Headquarters in Ikeja.

During the briefing, the commissioner presented a scorecard of the command’s activities since taking office on March 26, 2026. He said the arrests were the result of intelligence‑led operations and proactive policing strategies aimed at reducing crime across the state.

He broke down the arrests as follows: 71 suspects for armed robbery, 133 suspected cultists, 35 murder suspects and four traffic robbery suspects.

Fatai also revealed that the command thwarted 28 armed robbery attempts and recovered 60 firearms along with 625 rounds of ammunition from criminal elements.

“Since my assumption of duty on March 26, 2026, the command has continued to record remarkable achievements by reducing the incidence of serious crimes such as cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping, civil unrest, violent protests and attacks on government facilities to the barest minimum,” he said.

“Where intermittent cases of these crimes have occurred, they have been promptly investigated, with suspects arrested and prosecuted accordingly.”

The commissioner credited the Inspector‑General of Police, Olatunji Disu, the Lagos State Government, the Lagos State Security Trust Fund and other stakeholders, as well as the dedication of officers and personnel of the command, for these successes.

“With all hands on deck, coupled with the invaluable support of the Inspector‑General of Police, the Lagos State Government and other stakeholders, the command has been able to fully implement various crime‑prevention strategies, intelligence‑driven operations and modern policing techniques,” he added.

“Consequently, major crimes, including armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, cultism and related offences, have recorded significant declines.”

Fatai also highlighted the command’s traffic enforcement efforts, noting that 122 vehicles were impounded for driving against traffic, while 1,058 motorcycles were seized for various traffic violations.

In addition, 1,541 vehicles were impounded for illegally using Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors.

Despite these achievements, the commissioner lamented the loss of seven police personnel in the line of duty during the period under review, while three others sustained varying degrees of injury.

“These achievements have not come without sacrifices from some of our gallant officers and men. Seven personnel lost their lives in the line of duty, while three others sustained injuries,” he said.

Fatai assured Lagos residents that the command would sustain its intelligence‑driven crime‑fighting strategies and continue efforts to rid the state of criminal elements while ensuring the safety of lives and property.