Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 65 Battalion have arrested 24 foreign nationals during a raid on a suspected hideout in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State as part of ongoing efforts to combat criminal activities and illegal immigration within the 81 Division Area of Responsibility (AOR).
The operation, conducted on the strength of credible intelligence, targeted a secluded fenced compound at Imokun in the Odo-Noforija/Poka axis of Epe. Troops, working alongside members of the Vigilante Group, apprehended 15 males and nine females during the raid.
According to preliminary profiling, the suspects are citizens of six West and Central African countries. They include 10 Cameroonians, six Togolese, three Ivorians, three nationals of the Republic of Benin, one Burkinabe and one citizen of Guinea-Bissau.
Military authorities said initial investigations focused on determining the immigration status of the suspects, the purpose of their stay in Nigeria and whether they had any links to criminal activities. Security agencies are also making efforts to identify and question the owner of the property where the foreign nationals were residing.
The suspects were subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Lagos State Command, on July 16, 2026, for further investigation, profiling and necessary administrative action in line with Nigeria’s immigration laws.
Commending the troops for the successful operation, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Major General Adebayo Babalola, praised their professionalism and vigilance. He directed personnel to sustain ongoing security operations and intensify efforts to deny criminal elements, illegal immigrants and other security threats freedom of operation within the Division’s area of responsibility.
The GOC also reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to working closely with other security agencies to enhance peace, security and public safety across Lagos and other areas under the Division’s jurisdiction.
