Nigerian Troops of 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 security operations to curb criminal activities and illegal immigration within the 81 Division Area of Responsibility.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, the operation was carried out based on credible intelligence indicating the presence of undocumented foreign nationals in the area.
The statement said troops, working alongside members of the Vigilante Group, stormed a secluded fenced compound at Imokun in the Odo-Noforija/Poka axis of Epe, where 24 foreign nationals, comprising 15 males and nine females, were apprehended.
Preliminary profiling identified the suspects as nationals of six West and Central African countries: Cameroon (10), Togo (6), Côte d’Ivoire (3), Republic of Benin (3), Burkina Faso (1), and Guinea-Bissau (1).
The Army said initial investigations were launched to determine the suspects’ immigration status, the purpose of their stay in Nigeria, and whether they were involved in any unlawful activities. Authorities are also working to identify and question the owner of the compound where the foreign nationals were found.
The suspects were subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Lagos State Command, on July 16, 2026, for further investigation, profiling, and appropriate administrative action in line with Nigeria’s immigration laws.
Commending the troops for their professionalism, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Major General Adebayo Babalola, urged personnel to sustain ongoing operations against criminal elements, illegal immigrants, and other security threats across the Division’s area of responsibility.
He reaffirmed the Division’s commitment to working closely with relevant security agencies to ensure peace, security, and public safety across Lagos and other areas under its jurisdiction.
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