The Lagos and Ogun State Police Commands have recorded major successes in separate security operations, leading to the arrest of a suspected fake Nigeria Customs Service officer, 17 suspected cultists, and the rescue of a kidnapped victim in Ogun State. The operations, carried out through intelligence-led policing, form part of ongoing efforts to curb fraud, cultism and violent crime.

In Lagos, detectives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, arrested a suspect accused of impersonating a Customs officer and allegedly defrauding a victim of ₦520,000 in a fake shipment clearance scheme. Police said the suspect claimed goods shipped from the United States had arrived in Nigeria and demanded ₦1.8 millionfor clearance and delivery. Investigators later recovered two fake identification cards allegedly used to facilitate the fraud, while further investigations are underway to determine whether other victims were affected.

Meanwhile, in Ogun State, police operatives raided an alleged cult initiation ground at Ibogun Shomi in Ifo Local Government Area, arresting 17 suspects and recovering a locally fabricated firearm and an axe. In a separate operation, officers from the Iperu Division, working alongside Amotekun and the So-Safe Corps, rescued 29-year-old Sotonwa Oluwamayo, who had been abducted along Ogere Road in Iperu-Remo. The victim, who sustained injuries during the ordeal, was rescued less than 24 hours after security agencies launched a coordinated search.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani, and his Ogun counterpart, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the officers involved in the operations and reaffirmed their commitment to intelligence-driven policing. Both commands urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing credible information that would help security agencies prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.