The Lagos State Police Command has arrested three suspects after intercepting a truck loaded with military camouflage uniforms and suspected illicit drugs in the Surulere area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Tuesday.
According to the police commissioner, the suspects — Chinedu David, 29, Ezeagwu Chukwuma, 38, and Ifeanyi Ogbeanyi, 45 — were apprehended on June 20 by operatives of the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit following actionable intelligence.
Tijani said the operation led to the interception of an unregistered MAN diesel truck allegedly being used to transport 47 sacks of military camouflage uniforms and 80 cartons containing substances suspected to be illicit drugs.
He described the seizure as a significant breakthrough in the command’s ongoing efforts to combat criminal activities and disrupt illegal supply networks.
According to preliminary investigations, the consignment was reportedly being transported to Nigeria’s South-East region.
The police commissioner stated that investigators are working to determine the source of the military uniforms and suspected drugs, identify their intended recipients, and establish the level of involvement of the arrested suspects.
“Investigation is ongoing to determine the source, ownership and intended recipients of the recovered items, and to establish the extent of the suspects’ involvement,” Tijani said.
He, however, assured residents that the intercepted items did not pose any immediate threat to Lagos State, noting that the consignment was allegedly in transit out of the state.
Tijani added that given the country’s security challenges and the increasing use of military-style uniforms by criminal elements, authorities could not ignore the potential security implications of such a discovery.
The suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue.