The Lagos Police seizure of military uniforms has led to the arrest of three suspects after operatives intercepted 47 sacks of camouflage uniforms and 80 cartons of suspected illicit substances in Surulere.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, disclosed the development on Tuesday while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Ikeja. He said officers carried out the operation based on credible intelligence.
According to Tijani, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested Chinedu David, 29, Ezeagwu Chukwuma, 38, and Ifeanyi Ogbeanyi, 45, on Saturday night. The suspects allegedly transported the items in an unregistered MAN diesel truck.
The Lagos Police seizure of military uniforms uncovered 47 sacks of military camouflage and 80 cartons containing substances suspected to be illicit drugs. Police said the truck was heading to the South-East before officers intercepted it.
Tijani said preliminary findings showed that the suspects planned to move the uniforms outside Lagos. He added that investigators were working to identify the source of the items and their intended recipients.
“Investigation is ongoing to determine the source, ownership, and intended recipients of the recovered items. We are also identifying other persons linked to the crime,” he said.
The commissioner assured residents that the recovered consignment posed no immediate threat to Lagos because the suspects were transporting it out of the state. However, he warned that criminals often use military uniforms to commit crimes across the country.
A police source involved in the case revealed that officers first arrested the truck driver and his assistant before tracing two other suspects who later appeared at a police station in Surulere to claim the recovered items.
The Lagos Police seizure of military uniforms comes amid growing concerns over the increasing use of military-grade apparel by criminal groups nationwide.
