Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 65 Battalion have arrested 24 foreign nationals during a coordinated raid on a suspected hideout in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The Army said the operation was carried out as part of ongoing efforts to tackle criminal activities, undocumented migration and other security threats within the 81 Division Area of Responsibility.
Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, said the raid followed credible intelligence about the presence of undocumented foreign nationals in the battalion’s operational area.
According to Yahaya, troops, working with members of the Vigilante Group, stormed a secluded fenced compound at Imokun in the Odo-Noforija/Poka axis of Epe, where 24 individuals — 15 males and nine females — were apprehended.
Preliminary profiling showed that the suspects were 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 investigations are ongoing to determine the suspects’ immigration status, reasons for their stay in Nigeria and whether they are linked to any unlawful activities.
Authorities are also working to identify and question the owner of the premises where the individuals were found to establish the circumstances surrounding their residence.
The suspects were handed over to the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service on July 16, 2026, for further investigation, profiling and appropriate action under immigration laws.
The General Officer Commanding 81 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Adebayo Babalola, commended the troops for their vigilance and professionalism, urging them to continue collaborating with other security agencies to strengthen safety and security across the division’s area of responsibility.
