Troops Arrest 24 Foreign Nationals in a coordinated operation by the Nigerian Army and local vigilantes in Lagos State, following credible intelligence on the presence of undocumented migrants in Epe Local Government Area.
Key Highlights
Nigerian Army arrests 24 foreign nationals during a raid in Epe, Lagos.
Operation conducted by troops of the 65 Battalion alongside the Vigilante Group.
Suspects include 15 males and nine females from six African countries.
Army launches investigation into immigration status and possible criminal activities.
Suspects handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for further action.
Army vows to sustain operations against illegal immigration and security threats.
The operation was carried out within the 81 Division Area of Responsibility after security operatives received intelligence reports about the activities of undocumented foreign nationals residing in the area.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, troops stormed a secluded fenced compound located at Imokun in the Odo-Noforija/Poka axis of Epe, where they apprehended the suspects.
Preliminary profiling revealed that the 24 suspects comprise nationals from six West and Central African countries. They include 10 Cameroonians, six Togolese, three Ivorians, three Beninese, one Burkinabe and one Guinea-Bissau national.
The Nigerian Army said investigations are ongoing to determine the immigration status of the suspects, the purpose of their stay in the area and whether they are connected to any criminal activities.
Security agencies are also working to identify and question the owner of the property where the foreign nationals were discovered as part of the ongoing investigation.
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Following the operation, the suspects were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Lagos State Command, on July 16, 2026, for further profiling, investigation and appropriate administrative action in line with Nigeria’s immigration laws.
Reacting to the successful operation, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Major General Adebayo Babalola, commended the troops for their professionalism and urged them to sustain the ongoing crackdown on criminal elements, illegal immigrants and other security threats within the division’s operational area.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to working closely with other security agencies to strengthen public safety, maintain peace and enhance security across Lagos State and neighbouring communities.
