Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, has confirmed the arrest of 34 foreign nationals found occupying a building on Lagos Island without valid immigration documentation or a clear explanation of their activities in Nigeria.
Speaking during a media briefing, Fatai said the operation followed intelligence reports about a large number of foreign nationals residing in the building. According to him, those arrested include 14 Chadians, nine Burkinabes, four Beninese, four Malians, two Togolese, and one Ghanaian.
“What is significant is that none of those arrested could give a satisfactory account of themselves or what they were doing in Nigeria,” Fatai said.
The police commissioner disclosed that 12 of the suspects possessed ECOWAS passports but were still unable to provide credible reasons for their stay in the country. He added that when questioned about their occupations, the suspects claimed they were “into networking” but failed to offer further details.
Fatai said the police are currently profiling the 34 suspects to determine whether any are connected to criminal activities. He noted that after the investigation, they will be handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further processing in line with immigration regulations.
