Troops of the 65 Battalion, Nigerian Army, have arrested 24 foreign nationals during a raid on a suspected hideout in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Disclosing this on Thursday, the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lt. Col. Musa Yahaya, said the operation, carried out as part of ongoing efforts to rid the 81 Division Area of Responsibility (AOR) of criminal elements and illegal immigrants, followed credible intelligence on the presence of undocumented foreign nationals within the Battalion’s area of responsibility.
Acting on the intelligence, the troops, in collaboration with members of the Vigilante Group, stormed a secluded fenced compound at Imokun in the Odo-Noforija/Poka axis of Epe, where they apprehended 15 males and nine females.
Preliminary profiling showed that the suspects comprise 10 Cameroonians, six Togolese, three Ivorians, three nationals of the Republic of Benin, one Burkinabè and one Guinea-Bissau national.
The Army said investigations are underway to determine the suspects’ immigration status, reasons for their stay in Nigeria and any possible involvement in criminal activities. Security operatives are also working to identify and question the owner of the property to establish the circumstances surrounding their residence.
The 24 suspects were handed over to the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on July 16, 2026, for further investigation, profiling and appropriate administrative action in line with Nigeria’s immigration laws.
Commending the troops for their professionalism and vigilance, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Major General Adebayo Babalola, directed personnel to sustain the ongoing operations and intensify efforts to deny criminal elements and other security threats safe haven within the Division’s area of responsibility.
He also reaffirmed the Division’s commitment to working with other security agencies to maintain peace, security and public safety across Lagos and other areas under its jurisdiction.
