Nigerian Army troops have arrested 24 foreign nationals during a raid on a suspected hideout in Epe, Lagos State, as part of efforts to curb illegal immigration and security threats.
Troops of the 65 Battalion, 81 Division, working with local vigilantes, stormed a secluded fenced compound at Imokun, in the Odo-Noforija/Poka axis of Epe, acting on intelligence about undocumented foreign nationals in the area. Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations Lt. Col. Musa Yahaya said the 24 suspects — 15 men and nine women — are nationals of six West and Central African countries: Cameroon (10), Togo (6), Côte d’Ivoire (3), Benin Republic (3), Burkina Faso (1), and Guinea-Bissau (1).
The suspects were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service’s Lagos Command on July 16 for further investigation into their immigration status and possible criminal links. Efforts are underway to identify and question the compound’s owner. GOC Maj. Gen. Adebayo Babalola commended the troops and urged continued vigilance against security threats in the division’s area.
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