The Lagos State Police Command have arrested five suspected cultists during an intelligence-led operation targeting criminal elements allegedly terrorising the Apapa, Ijora and Badia areas of the state.

The arrests were carried out by officers of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) following credible intelligence on the activities of the suspects.

Police said in a statement that the operation first led to the arrest of a 25-year-old suspect, Abubakar Ayomide, also known as “Garbazin”, who later directed operatives to the group’s hideout, where four other suspected members were arrested.

The other suspects were identified as Tanko Yusuf, 23; Ahmed Abibu, 24; Abubakar Shafi, 23; and Fatai Mohammed, 25.

According to the police, the principal suspect confessed to being a member of the Aiye Confraternity and has provided investigators with useful information to aid ongoing investigations.

The command added that efforts are underway to track down other members of the criminal gang and conclude investigations before prosecution.

A search of the hideout led to the recovery of one battle axe, one UTC knife, two other knives, one hammer, substances suspected to be Indian hemp, suspected criminal charms and other exhibits.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, warned cultists and other criminal elements operating across the state to abandon their illegal activities or face the consequences.

“There is no hiding place for cultists in Lagos, as the Command remains resolute in identifying, arresting, and prosecuting every individual involved in cult-related violence and other criminal acts,” he said.

The Commissioner also assured residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-driven operations across the state to tackle cultism and other violent crimes.

He urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the police, assuring them that all reports would be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

The police also encouraged residents to report emergencies or share useful information through the Command’s emergency lines.

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Six suspected Boko Haram members and their family members have surrendered to troops of Operation HADIN KAI in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State following sustained military pressure on terrorist enclaves in the Mandara Mountains.

Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

The first group surrendered at about 6:00 a.m. on July 4, 2026 to troops of D Company, 192 Battalion (Motorised).

The group comprised Hamman Zaha, 65, and his wife, Falmatu Yahaya, 55, who disclosed during preliminary interrogation that they had escaped from the Guduf-Bubayagwa terrorist enclave in the Mandara Mountains.

According to the sources, troops recovered N943,000 from the couple at the point of surrender.

In a related development, another group of four surrendered about 45 minutes later to troops of C Company, 192 Battalion (Motorised) in Gwoza.

The group consisted of Ali Garba, 31; Ismail Yakubu, 27; Aisha Musa, 60; and Amina Garba, 50, who told investigators they had fled the Chikide terrorist enclave, also located in the Mandara Mountains.

The escapees said they decided to abandon the camp due to sustained military offensives, worsening hardship and the lack of basic necessities within the insurgents’ enclave.

Troops recovered two Tecno mobile phones and N593,500 from the second group.

All six individuals had been screened, documented and taken into custody by the 192 Battalion (Motorised) for further investigation.

The two adult male suspects, believed to have had links with the insurgents, as well as the source of the more than N1.5 million recovered from both groups, would be subjected to further interrogation to establish the circumstances surrounding the funds and determine any operational or logistical connections.

The latest surrender underscores the growing pressure being mounted on terrorist hideouts across the Mandara Mountains through sustained ground operations, forcing more insurgents and their relatives to abandon the enclaves.accordance with the law.

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The Nigeria Customs Service has arrested a suspected wildlife trafficker and rescued a captive baby gorilla during a raid in Kofar Mata, Kano State, in what it described as a major breakthrough against an illegal primate trafficking network.

The operation, conducted on July 7 by the NCS Special Wildlife Office of the Customs Intelligence Unit alongside Focused Conservation, the Customs Police Unit and officers of the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance, according to a statement shared by the Service on its social media platforms on Thursday.

The rescued gorilla. Photo credit: Customs

Quoting the Officer-in-Charge of the NCS Special Wildlife Office, Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Anuhu Mani, the statement said the “rescued infant gorilla had been transferred to veterinary care and is receiving specialised medical attention and rehabilitation.”

Mani said the operation targeted syndicates involved in the illicit trade and supply of protected primates within the Kano axis, adding that the success of the raid demonstrated the value of intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with conservation partners.

“Investigations are actively ongoing as we follow all actionable leads generated from this operation,” he said.

The Customs officer, however, said the Service would not disclose the identity of the suspect or other operational details while investigations continue.

“To preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation and ensure that fleeing members of the trafficking network do not evade justice, the NCS is withholding further operational details, including the identity of the suspect,” Mani stated.

He reiterated the Service’s zero-tolerance policy against wildlife trafficking, saying the NCS remained committed to enforcing endangered species laws and protecting Nigeria’s natural heritage.

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