LASTMA arrests 6 suspected ‘one-chance’ robbers in Lagos
Officials from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority arrested six alleged members of a notorious “one-chance” racket operating along the Ijora Bridge corridor in Lagos.
According to Adebayo Taofiq, Director of LASTMA’s Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, the arrests on Thursday, October 23, 2025, were part of a joint enforcement exercise targeting illegal garages, unauthorised shanties, and criminal hideouts along Apapa Road in Costain and the Ijora under-bridge area.
The Nigerian Police Force, Mobile Police, Lagos State Task Force, Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, and Nigerian Army all participated in the operation.
As noted in the statement, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, said, “This exercise demonstrates the Sanwo-Olu administration’s zero-tolerance policy towards environmental infractions, the unlawful occupation of public infrastructure, and the proliferation of criminal enclaves across Lagos.
“The clean-up and arrests are integral components of the government’s holistic strategy to ensure a safer, cleaner, and more habitable metropolis. Criminal elements and illegal occupants still operating beneath bridges and in unauthorized spaces are warned to vacate immediately.”
According to LASTMA, enforcement personnel recovered 77 mobile phones, two POS machines, multiple wristwatches, and other personal effects believed to have been forcibly taken from commuters and pedestrians.
Several kegs of adulterated diesel and over 150 packs of expired plantain chips and cheese balls were also confiscated.
Giwa noted that the Ijora under-bridge axis had long served as a criminal enclave, saying, “This area had evolved into a clandestine storage hub for stolen valuables and contraband goods. Today, we have dismantled these hideouts and restored order in the corridor.”
The operation also involved the demolition of over 120 illegal shanties, including structures along the perimeter of St. Peter’s Catholic Nursery and Primary School, Apapa Road.
Giwa said, “By reclaiming these spaces, we are restoring urban integrity and ensuring that public areas are no longer used for illegal purposes.”
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, commended the inter-agency collaboration, stating, “This exercise is a demonstration of inter-agency cooperation at its best. LASTMA’s mandate transcends conventional traffic management, extending into public safety, environmental protection, and the safeguarding of transport corridors from criminal encroachment.”
He also urged residents to remain vigilant. He said, “We encourage everyone to report suspicious activities promptly and cooperate with ongoing government efforts to sanitize and secure the city’s transport infrastructure.”
According to LASTMA, the six suspects—Adetunji Bashiru (28), Sulaiman Kada (35), Abubakar Bala (42), Abubakar Ahmed (28), Rasaq Gbadamosi (21), and Ibrahim Yakub (23)—have been handed over to law enforcement authorities for further investigation and prosecution.
