By our Reporter
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested 43 suspects during a fresh raid on a notorious criminal hideout under its ongoing Operation KOSAYE, recovering suspected hard drugs, mobile phones and other exhibits linked to criminal activities.
The operation, carried out by operatives of the Command’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit, targeted a black spot at Isheri-Olofin along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway opposite the Kara Cattle Market.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the raid was conducted at about 11 p.m. on July 7 following credible intelligence that the location had become a haven for cultists, drug users, prostitutes and other criminal elements.
The statement said the Commander of the SWAT Unit, CSP Murphy, led the intelligence-driven operation, which resulted in the arrest of 43 suspects comprising 28 men and 15 women.
Police recovered substances suspected to be Indian hemp, “Loud” and other hard drugs during the operation. Other exhibits recovered included 10 mobile phones, four power banks, a rechargeable hand fan, a cross-body bag containing two ATM cards and a National Identity Card, among other items believed to be connected with criminal activities.
The command disclosed that following investigations, all 43 suspects had been arraigned before a competent court and remanded in a correctional facility.
They are facing charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, membership of an unlawful society, unlawful assembly, conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace, disorderly conduct, unlawful possession and use of suspected cannabis, prostitution, operating and managing an unlicensed brothel, living on the earnings of prostitution, and other related offences under the laws of Ogun State.
The police further revealed that some of the suspects were providing useful information to investigators regarding other criminal cases, while follow-up operations were ongoing to apprehend additional suspects and dismantle related criminal networks.
According to the command, the latest prosecution brings the total number of suspects charged to court since the launch of Operation KOSAYE to 76. This includes 33 suspects prosecuted during the initial phase of the operation and the additional 43 arraigned following the recent raid.
Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the professionalism, discipline and operational effectiveness of the SWAT operatives, describing the latest raid as another significant milestone in the implementation of Operation KOSAYE.
He reaffirmed the command’s resolve to sustain intelligence-led policing and tactical operations to rid Ogun State of criminal hideouts, cult enclaves, drug joints and brothels used as cover for criminal activities.
Ojajuni urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies, assuring them of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and maintaining public peace across the state.
