Lagos Police Mop Up Weapons In Coordinated September Operation, Arrest 32 Suspects

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The Lagos State Police Command, led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Olayiwola Fatai, has announced significant operational successes for the month of September 2026, with the arrest of 32 suspects and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, stolen vehicles and other criminal exhibits.

CP Fatai, who briefed journalists at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja, said the Command remains steadfast and unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across Lagos State through proactive policing, intelligence-led operations, strategic crime prevention initiatives, and swift responses to emerging security threats.

According to him, the September operations targeted suspects involved in armed robbery, cultism, unlawful possession of firearms, and other violent crimes, leading to the recovery of firearms, ammunition, stolen items, and other incriminating exhibits.

Exhibits recovered in September include 43 recovered vehicles and two vehicle keys, vandalised electrical wires, ₦2.5 million cash, five pump-action guns, five locally made pistols, 20 live ammunition/cartridges, 15 expended ammunition, two cutlasses, assorted suspected criminal charms, one television set, one radiator, one car jack, and a bag containing different vehicle spare parts and tools.

CP Fatai noted that these achievements further demonstrate the Command’s determination to sustain public safety and ensure that Lagos remains hostile to criminal elements.

*August vs September: Is Security Improving?*

A comparison of the Command’s August and September data shows a mixed but encouraging trend in the fight against crime.

In August 2026, the Command arrested 39 suspects, higher than the 32 arrested in September. August operations led to the recovery of 14 locally made pistols, one double-barrel long gun, one live cartridge, seven cutlasses, 16 knives, 13 bags of suspected Indian hemp, a truck loaded with cartons of spaghetti, vandalised iron and cables from the Coastal Road and Third Mainland Bridge, a POS machine and a laptop.

In September, while the number of arrests dropped by seven, the quality of recoveries improved significantly. The Command recovered 10 more sophisticated firearms, including five pump-action guns, which were not recorded in August, alongside 20 live and 15 expended ammunition compared to just one live cartridge in August. Most striking is the recovery of 43 vehicles in September, a major leap in the fight against car snatching and robbery, plus ₦2.5 million suspected proceeds of crime.

Security analysts say the drop in arrests does not indicate a slowdown, but a shift from mass arrests of vandals and cultists in August to targeted dismantling of armed robbery and car-snatching syndicates in September. The recovery of pump-action guns, large ammunition cache and dozens of vehicles suggests police intelligence is now hitting higher-value criminal networks.

CP Fatai assured residents that all suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations, urging the public to continue providing timely and credible information.

“The Command will not relent. Lagos will remain hostile to criminals,” he said, reaffirming the resolve to intensify patrols and intelligence gathering as the ember months approach.