Midnight Raid: Lagos Taskforce Nabs 62 Suspected Criminals

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offenses Taskforce arrested 62 people at key places on Lagos Island during a midnight enforcement operation on Friday.

Victoria Island, Falomo, the Eko Hotel axis, Osborne, and surrounding streets were among the places targeted by the coordinated operation, which started at around 1:30 am and was designated as an emergent crime nexus.

There has been an increase in criminal activity and illegal occupation in certain areas, officials say, and immediate action is needed.

The Lagos State Government explained the operation as a part of a stepped-up effort to clean up the city and handle security issues related to the actions of what it called “undesirable elements.”

Through his verified X (previously Twitter) handle, Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, confirmed the enforcement activity and the ensuing arrests.

At around 01:30 on Friday, May 23, 2025, members of the Environmental Taskforce team set out to begin their ongoing clean-up enforcement operation on the Island as part of the agency’s ongoing effort to purge the State of criminal elements, according to Wahab’s letter.

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He added that the enforcement effort assisted in restoring order to the impacted regions and revealed that 62 suspects in all, consisting of 59 men and 3 women, were captured during the sweep.

“The operation visited Victoria Island, Falomo, the Eko Hotel, Osborne, and other nearby streets where some undesirable elements were observed,” Wahab said. “Everything was back to normal.”

The Commissioner promised the arrested people that they would be prosecuted in line with the law.

“All of the suspects will face the appropriate charges in court,” he stated.