Raid and arrests under Operation Kosaye

The Ogun State Police Command has arraigned 43 suspected criminals arrested during a late-night raid on a notorious criminal hideout in the Isheri-Olofin area of the state under its ongoing Operation Kosaye.

The suspects comprised 28 males and 15 females. Operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit apprehended them during an intelligence-led operation conducted at about 11 p.m. on July 7, 2026, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway opposite the Kara Cattle Market.

Police said the raid followed credible intelligence about activities at the location. The Command identified the site as a gathering point for cultists, drug users, prostitutes and other criminal elements operating in the area.

According to the police, the Commander of the SWAT Unit, CSP Murphy, immediately deployed operatives after the intelligence report, leading to the raid and the arrest of the 43 suspects.

Items recovered and charges filed

Recovered during the operation were substances suspected to be Indian hemp, "Loud" and other hard drugs. Police also listed 10 mobile phones, four power banks, a rechargeable hand fan, and a cross-body bag containing two ATM cards and a National Identity Card among the exhibits seized.

The police said the recovered items were believed to be linked to criminal activities. The Command added that investigations after the raid led to the arraignment of all 43 suspects before a competent court.

The suspects have since been remanded in the appropriate correctional facility. According to the police, they are facing charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, membership of an unlawful society, unlawful assembly, conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace, disorderly conduct, unlawful possession and use of suspected cannabis, prostitution, operating and managing an unlicensed brothel, living on the earnings of prostitution and other related offences under the laws of Ogun State.

Some of the suspects, the police said, were also assisting investigators with useful information that could lead to the arrest of other members of criminal networks operating within and outside the area.

Police statement and prosecution figures

Confirming the development in a statement issued on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the operation formed part of the Command's continuing enforcement efforts under Operation Kosaye.

Babaseyi said the latest prosecution increased the total number of suspects charged to court since the commencement of the operation to 76. That figure, he said, consists of 33 suspects prosecuted during the initial phase of the operation and the additional 43 suspects arraigned after the latest raid.

The police presented the latest arraignment as part of a wider strategy to disrupt criminal networks and dismantle locations allegedly used as bases for unlawful activities. The Command also said it was continuing to build cases through intelligence gathered during and after the raid.

Police did not provide additional court details in the statement, but maintained that all 43 suspects had been processed and remanded following their arraignment.

Commissioner praises operatives and appeals for public support

Commending the operatives, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, praised the SWAT team for what he described as their professionalism, discipline and operational effectiveness.

The success of this operation is another significant milestone in the sustained implementation of Operation Kosaye. Ogun State will remain hostile terrain for criminals, and all criminal hideouts, drug joints, brothels used as covers for criminal activities, cult enclaves and other black spots will continue to be identified, raided and dismantled.

— CP Bode Ojajuni, Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command

Ojajuni also reaffirmed the Command's commitment to intelligence-led policing and strategic community partnerships aimed at protecting lives and property across the state.

We urge residents to remain vigilant and continue supporting the Police with timely, credible and actionable information. The Command will sustain robust tactical operations and proactive policing strategies to preserve public peace, maintain law and order, and ensure that criminal elements have no safe haven in Ogun State,

— CP Bode Ojajuni, Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command

The Police Command appealed to members of the public to report suspicious persons and activities through its emergency response channels. It also assured residents of prompt action on all credible information received.