Police nab notorious drug dealers, recovered cocaine worth over N60m

By Alex Olise

• Stakeholders commend division for gallant operations

Operatives from the Lagos State Police Command, assigned to the Ojo division, have achieved significant success in the ongoing fight against drug and other criminal activities with the recent arrest of illegal drug dealers in the well-known Ojo Alaba area of Lagos.

The success recorded by the Ojo division stemmed from intelligence gathering that was carefully coordinated by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Umar Bala. He has consistently demonstrated proactiveness in his role since taking office.

Investigations by our correspondent indicate that the current Divisional Police Officer is the first to boldly pursue drug dealers in the notorious drug haven of Alaba.

A Keke NAPEP rider who spoke to our correspondent expressed surprise at the arrests made by the new DPO, stating that previous DPOs had been unable to take such action because many drug dens in Alaba are challenging for any police officer to infiltrate due to the presence of dangerous criminals. The rider remarked that this new DPO has broken the barrier, exhibiting fearlessness and competence in his job.

However, some members of the Alaba community praised the Divisional Police Officer and his team while condemning one Ogne Dipo, who recently took to his Facebook page to accuse police operatives of making indiscriminate arrests of motorcycles, commonly known as Okadas.

Community stakeholders shared their view, stating, “The issues raised by the anonymous writer are fabricated lies intended to tarnish the image of the police in Ojo and distract from the significant breakthroughs achieved by the Ojo division under CSP Umar Bala.”

It is worth noting that the immediate past Commissioner of Police in Lagos, now Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 2 (AIG) Adegoke Fayoade, has directed all Divisional Police Officers to crack down on motorcycle riders to eliminate their presence from the streets of Lagos in an effort to combat crime.

According to the police chief, many criminal activities in Lagos are carried out using motorcycles, which is why the Lagos State government has banned this mode of transportation and empowered the police to enforce the law across the state.

Investigations reveal that all motorcycles that are confiscated are sent to the Lagos State Task Force in Oshodi for further investigation, as directed by police authorities at the headquarters.