Adeniyi Ajayi, also known as Ogologo, was one of the suspects who escaped from the former SARS facility in Ikeja, Lagos State, after the unit was disbanded in 2020. He had been arrested by the police for armed robbery and multiple cases of rape. According to reports, Ogologo was set free by operatives of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad in a bid to intentionally increase the crime rate in Lagos State.
The incident occurred during a chaotic time in Nigeria, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the entire world and the #EndSARS protests taking place in the country. The protests began to lose momentum after the Lekki Toll Gate incident, where young Nigerians were shot with live bullets by the Nigerian military while protesting against police brutality. The ripple effect of the pains of the past has yet to heal, with families of victims still seeking justice.
Ogologo, 27 years old at the time, had been paraded by Hakeem Odumosu, the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police, at the command headquarters for raping up to eight women during robberies in different parts of the state. He confessed to raping three women and stated that he would prefer to be killed than go to prison. A source at the command headquarters revealed that Ogologo was arraigned and remanded by the court but was later returned to the SARS office at Ikeja due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) could not take in fresh inmates at the time, hence his return to the SARS facility despite the court order for his remand. A police source revealed that some police officers were involved in Ogologo's release to spike the crime rate in the state as a form of revenge against the government for disbanding SARS. About 100 suspects were released by senior police officers immediately after the IGP announced the disbandment of SARS.
Two police officers accused of helping suspects escape were arrested, with one confessing that they did it to increase the rate of crime in Lagos. The police have arrested about 20 of the suspects, with some unable to jump the fence when told to run away and others arrested while committing another offense. Ogologo was rearrested in October 2025 by the Lagos police force along with other armed robbers.
According to reports, Ogologo and his gang had just concluded a robbery operation at Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, and were on their way to their regular hideout when they were intercepted by police detectives. A search on one of the suspects led to the recovery of locally made guns and live ammunition, and Ogologo was found with a locally fabricated pistol during a raid on the hotel hideout.
The incident raises questions about the effectiveness of the police and the lingering effects of the #EndSARS protests. The case highlights the need for police reform and accountability in Nigeria. Key points include:
Key points
- Ogologo was among suspects who escaped from a SARS facility in Lagos after the unit was disbanded in 2020.
- He was rearrested in October 2025 by the Lagos police force along with other armed robbers.
- Police officers were involved in Ogologo's release to spike the crime rate in the state as a form of revenge against the government for disbanding SARS.
