The Lagos State Police Command has intercepted 47 sacks containing military camouflage uniforms and 80 cartons of suspected illicit substances during an intelligence-led operation in the Surulere area of the state.
Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh (represented by senior officers of the command), disclosed the development while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Tuesday.
According to the police, three suspects — Chinedu David, 29; Ezeagwu Chukwuma, 38; and Ifeanyi Ogbeanyi, 45 — were arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit on Saturday during the operation.
The suspects were apprehended in possession of an unregistered MAN diesel truck loaded with military camouflage uniforms and cartons of substances believed to be illicit drugs.
“The operatives of the Lagos State Police Command attached to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on credible intelligence, recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest of three suspects,” the police commissioner said.
“The operation led to the recovery of an unregistered MAN diesel truck loaded with 47 sacks containing military camouflage uniforms and 80 cartons of drugs suspected to be illicit substances.”
Preliminary investigations revealed that the truck was allegedly transporting the military uniforms to the South-East region of the country.
The commissioner said investigations were ongoing to determine the source of the recovered items, their ownership and intended recipients, as well as to identify other persons connected to the operation.
“Investigation is ongoing to determine the source, ownership and intended recipients of the recovered items, establish the extent of the suspects’ involvement and identify other persons linked to the criminal act,” he said.
CP Jimoh, however, assured residents that the intercepted consignment did not pose an immediate threat to Lagos State, noting that it was being moved out of the state when it was intercepted.
“It does not pose any form of threat to Lagos State. The items were being transported out of the state. However, considering the security situation in the country, where criminals and bandits have been known to disguise themselves in military uniforms, one cannot rule out possible criminal intentions,” he said.
A police source involved in the investigation disclosed that the truck driver and his assistant were initially arrested before two additional suspects linked to the consignment were identified and taken into custody.
“We first arrested the truck driver and his assistant. Subsequently, two other suspects who came to a police station in Surulere to claim ownership of the exhibits were also arrested,” the source said.
The seizure comes amid growing concerns over the proliferation of military-grade uniforms among criminal elements, a development security agencies say has aided impersonation and other criminal activities across the country.