The Lagos State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in its fight against economic sabotage with the arrest of six suspected members of a syndicate allegedly involved in diverting imported goods worth over N20 billion from the Apapa Port. The suspects, who were arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, are alleged to have been involved in the diversion of goods over the past 19 years. The police said the arrests were in line with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to police officers across the country to go after criminals involved in economic sabotage.
The six suspects, who are reportedly members of one of the two most notorious goods-diversion syndicates operating in the country, are Jamiu Lateef, Abubakar Amadu, Aliu Olanshile, Opeyemi Oyewale, Hassana Malami, and Hassana Haruna. Two of the suspects, Jamiu Lateef and Abubakar Amadu, were alleged to be the leaders of the syndicate and reportedly own multiple trailers used for transportation. They are also said to have properties and investments in Niger Republic, the Republic of Benin, and other places. The two suspects were reportedly on the wanted lists of several police commands across the country.
According to a police source, the syndicate usually targets goods worth millions or billions of naira. The source added that most of the members have been arrested many times in the past and, because it is a bailable offence, they returned to the crime once they were released from prison. The source said that about four members of the syndicate, including the two alleged leaders, Abubakar and Jamiu, were released from prison in February this year, while their drivers were released about two months later.
The police source also revealed that the suspects usually stayed around the ports in Lagos and looked for people who needed transportation services to move imported goods to the North, East, and other parts of the country. They also join WhatsApp platforms of different transporters and transportation companies at the port, where transportation needs are advertised. Once they get the offer, they disappear with the goods and erase any trace of their whereabouts by changing their phones and SIM cards.
In its latest operation, the syndicate allegedly diverted goods, including forklifts, fabrics, and imported plates, worth about N3 billion. The suspects reportedly offered an importer their truck to transport the goods from Lagos to Kano at an agreed cost. One of the alleged leaders, Jamiu, reportedly confessed to the police, saying that they negotiated, loaded the goods at the port, but instead of going to Kano, they diverted to a place in Ojota, where they offloaded it and sold it to their receivers.
Further investigation led to the arrest of the alleged receivers of the goods, the truck drivers, and the two suspected leaders of the syndicate. The suspects allegedly told the importer that their truck had broken down in Mokwa, Niger State, and collected money from him to repair it. The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Abimbola Adebisi, described the arrests as a “big achievement” by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the command.
The police said that investigation is ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate and recover some of the goods allegedly diverted during its previous operations. The suspects' arrest is a significant blow to the syndicate, which has been operating for 19 years, causing significant economic losses to the country. The police have recovered some of the diverted goods, including fabrics that were traced to a market in Agege.
Key points
- The Lagos State Police Command has arrested six suspected members of a syndicate allegedly involved in diverting imported goods worth over N20 billion from the Apapa Port.
- The suspects, who were arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, are alleged to have been involved in the diversion of goods over the past 19 years.
- The police said that investigation is ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate and recover some of the goods allegedly diverted during its previous operations.
