Lagos Police Arrest 34 Foreign Nationals in Intelligence-Led Raid, Launch Profiling Investigation

Lagos Police Arrest 34 Foreign Nationals in Intelligence-Led Raid, Launch Profiling Investigation

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 34 foreign nationals during an intelligence-led operation on Lagos Island after security agencies received reports about the suspicious occupation of a residential building by a large number of foreigners.

The Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, disclosed the development during a media briefing on Wednesday, saying the operation followed credible intelligence indicating that the occupants of the building could not be readily identified and that their activities warranted investigation.

According to the police commissioner, officers moved in on the property and arrested 14 nationals of Chad, nine from Burkina Faso, four from Benin Republic, four Malians, two Togolese and one Ghanaian.

"In a particular house on the Island, we received information that there were a lot of foreign nationals occupying that particular building. We went into action there. We've arrested 14 Chadians, nine Burkinabes, four Beninese, four Malians, two Togolese and one Ghanaian," Fatai said.

He added that preliminary investigations showed that none of the suspects could provide a satisfactory account of their activities in Nigeria or explain the purpose of their stay in the country.

Fatai said 12 of those arrested were in possession of passports issued by member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). However, he noted that the travel documents did not sufficiently explain their presence or occupations in Nigeria.

According to the commissioner, investigators questioned the suspects about their means of livelihood and reasons for living together in the building, but many reportedly claimed they were engaged in "networking" without offering further details about the nature of the business.

He said the responses heightened suspicion and prompted the command to commence a comprehensive profiling and background investigation to determine the identities, immigration status and activities of the foreign nationals.

The police said investigations are ongoing and that further action will be taken based on the outcome of the profiling exercise.