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The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) has arrested 33 suspected criminals during an early morning enforcement operation across parts of the state.
During the raid, operatives recovered incriminating items, including substances suspected to be Tramadol, Indian hemp, Colorado, marijuana and cannabis, as well as dangerous weapons and objects such as scissors and cutlasses.
Speaking on the operation, the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Adetayo Akerele, said the exercise was in furtherance of the agency’s statutory mandate and in line with the THEMES Plus Agenda of the Lagos State Government.
He said: “In furtherance of its statutory mandate and in alignment with the THEMES Plus Agenda of the Lagos State Government, particularly its zero-tolerance stance against environmental degradation, drug abuse and criminality, the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) has intensified its routine enforcement operations across the metropolis.”
In a statement, the Director of Press and Public Affairs of the Lagos State Taskforce, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, said the early morning operation, conducted on Monday, July 27, 2026, targeted street urchins, miscreants, suspected drug addicts and peddlers, illegal commercial motorcyclists (Okada riders), street traders, illegal ticket touts and other criminal elements whose activities pose threats to public safety and environmental order.
He said areas covered during the exercise included Ikate Bus Stop, Marwa Bus Stop, Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island, Obalende Under Bridge, Law School Junction and other adjoining locations along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, where the activities of suspected criminal elements had become a growing concern.
According to him, the operation successfully restored normalcy to all the affected areas.
He added that the suspects had been charged before the appropriate courts in accordance with the provisions of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, and the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, where applicable.
Meanwhile, during a debriefing with officers at the agency’s headquarters, CSP Akerele reiterated the Taskforce’s unwavering determination to make Lagos uncomfortable for criminal elements.
“There is no room for criminality in Lagos State. Those engaged in criminal activities should either desist or relocate. We remain committed to enforcing the laws of the state and ensuring that residents continue to enjoy a safe, secure and orderly environment,” he said.
He further urged officers to sustain the momentum of the ongoing enforcement operations by intensifying efforts to combat criminality across the state, noting that the agency had already made significant progress in curbing the menace of illegal Okada operations on Lagos roads.
The Lagos State Taskforce reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven enforcement operations across the state to rid the metropolis of criminal elements and maintain law and order.
5 hunters killed as security forces neutralise over 40 terrorists in Katsina
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From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The Katsina State Government has announced a major security breakthrough following the successful repulsion of a large-scale bandit attack on Guga Village in Bakori Local Government Area, where local hunters and members of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps reportedly killed more than 40 bandits, including several top commanders.
A statement issued yesterday by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasir Mu’azu, said the attack occurred at about 5:40 p.m. on Sunday when over 200 heavily armed bandits, led by notorious kingpin Idi Abasu Aiki and supported by members of the Ado Aleru gang from neighbouring Zamfara State, invaded Guga Village in what authorities described as a reprisal attack.
According to the statement, intelligence reports had revealed that the attackers planned to dislodge local hunters and members of the Community Watch Corps protecting communities in the area before launching coordinated attacks on Bakori town and neighbouring villages.
It stated that sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance enabled security personnel to deploy prompt and coordinated countermeasures, leading to a fierce gun battle that forced the attackers to retreat after suffering heavy casualties.
As a result, more than 40 bandits were neutralised during the operation, while follow-up intelligence confirmed that about eight senior commanders of the criminal group were also eliminated.
The statement added that the notorious bandit leader, Idi Abasu Aiki, sustained life-threatening gunshot injuries during the encounter.
The government noted that the latest success followed an earlier operation carried out on July 7, 2026, at Dawan Laila Village in Bakori Local Government Area, where the same criminal network suffered significant losses at the hands of local hunters and the Community Watch Corps.
According to the statement, the latest attack was a desperate attempt by the bandits to regain lost ground and undermine the community-based security architecture established by the Katsina State Government.
It added that security operatives had commenced clearance operations in the area to recover abandoned weapons and other items left behind by the fleeing criminals, while surveillance had been intensified to prevent further attacks.
The government, however, expressed deep sorrow over the death of five members of the hunters’ team, who were fatally shot after they were caught outside the frontline while attending to personal shopping activities during the operation.
“These courageous patriots paid the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our communities,” the statement said.
The government further disclosed that normalcy had been restored to the affected communities and reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining collaborative security operations aimed at protecting lives and property across the state.
