Police arrest 39 suspects, rescue 11 victims in Lagos
Operatives from the Lagos Police Command have arrested 39 individuals on various charges and rescued 11 victims of kidnapping over the past two weeks.
The arrests and rescues were announced during the command’s bi-weekly press briefing on Monday.
CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson, shared the details on behalf of Commissioner of Police (CP) Olohundare Moshood Jimoh.
The operation also led to the recovery of 10 firearms, 49 live ammunition, two motorcycles, a vehicle, five vandalised streetlight poles, telecommunications cables, two mobile phones, and illicit drugs.
The suspects face a range of charges, including murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, child stealing, vandalism, operating a baby factory, and the illegal possession of firearms.
Among the more significant arrests was the dismantling of a baby-selling factory in the Afurugbin area of Ijegun, where nine individuals, including three children, were rescued.
The raid, which took place on April 5 at around 2pm, followed a tip-off from reliable intelligence.
Police identified the operators of the factory as Mariam Vincent, 35; Orie Ruth, 23; and Ujunwa Ifeanyi, 18. The victims were found to have been held captive for the purpose of operating the baby factory.
Among those rescued were Precious (24), Magdalene (25), Adaobi (23), Princess (22), Ifeanyi (25), Amaka (26), Destiny (7), Miracle (5), and two-year-old Success.
The suspects have admitted to abducting the victims from various parts of the state, and investigations are ongoing.
In other developments, a man was arrested for allegedly beating his daughter to death and burying her in a shallow grave in the Okokomaiko area of Ojo. Police exhumed the body on April 3 after receiving a report about the crime. The suspect, Kamoru Ojo, is currently in custody, and investigations are continuing.
The command also reported the recovery of firearms from an abandoned building in Victoria Island on March 26.
The building, which had recently been acquired by a company, contained two .22LR rifles and 38 rounds of live ammunition. Investigations are underway to determine the origin and ownership of the weapons.
Additionally, police detailed an incident involving a Chinese national, Lei Lu, who was arrested at the American Embassy on April 3 for possessing a fake British diplomatic number plate. The suspect has been handed over to the police for further investigation.
In another case, 23-year-old Sodiq Ojolowo was arrested on March 26 for allegedly raping a woman at her home in Ikotun.
The victim’s cries for help prompted the intervention of a neighbour, whom the suspect attacked with a sharp object while attempting to flee. Both the victim and the injured neighbour received medical treatment, and the suspect was apprehended.
