Lagos police bust ‘shrine’ kidnap den in Idimu, arrest 13 suspected one-chance operatives

The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered a hideout allegedly operated by suspected kidnappers and disguised as a shrine in the Idimu area of the state, arresting no fewer than 13 suspects in the process.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, led journalists on a tour of the premises located along Pipeline Road, Idimu, where he said the suspects were members of a notorious “one-chance” kidnapping syndicate terrorising parts of Lagos.

According to the police boss, the arrests followed intelligence-led stop-and-search operations carried out by police operatives in the early hours of Sunday, after security agencies received credible information about the activities of the gang.

Jimoh explained that the suspects allegedly used the location, camouflaged as a shrine, to coordinate operations, detain victims temporarily and evade suspicion from residents in the area.

“This operation is the result of actionable intelligence and sustained surveillance,” the commissioner said. “Our operatives moved in swiftly during routine stop-and-search operations and successfully apprehended the suspects linked to a one-chance kidnapping network.”

He noted that the discovery underscores the evolving tactics of criminal groups, who now disguise criminal dens as religious or cultural sites to avoid detection.

The commissioner assured residents that the Lagos State Police Command remains committed to dismantling criminal networks across the state and will continue to intensify patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering, particularly in identified hotspots.

Jimoh urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the police, stressing that community cooperation remains critical to crime prevention and rapid response.

He added that investigations were ongoing to determine the full extent of the suspects’ operations, identify additional accomplices and recover items linked to criminal activities, while the arrested suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.