LAGOS CP FATAI TIJANI WARNS, SAYS THUGGERY DURING ELECTION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
By Olayiwola Ibrahim // Lagos // Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani, has warned politicians against using thugs or cultists to disrupt the electoral process, saying the command will not tolerate electoral violence.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday at the State Police Headquarters, Ikeja, CP Tijani stressed that the police would enforce a zero-tolerance stance against any political actor who deploys miscreants for electoral purposes.
As regards politicians, we are getting to the critical period, which is the electoral period now.
And this is one of the times when these boys will think they are needed and will be used for election purposes, he said.
I am sure the politicians among us know now that it’s not going to be business as usual, because no law will tolerate thuggery or lawlessness during the election, CP Tijani stated.
He added that And before it starts, we have been echoing to the hearing of our politicians that these men they may feel are going to be useful to them the law will not allow it.
They themselves should not do anything untoward to entice these boys to be used for electoral purposes.
The police chief cautioned politicians against enticing hoodlums for political purposes, noting that such acts would face the full wrath of the law.
He said the command is actively conducting sensitization programmes to inform both politicians and the public that the era of election related violence is over.
Raids on Lekki-Epe Corridor
On everyday criminality, CP Tijani detailed ongoing operations to rid Lagos of street urchins, particularly along the Lekki-Epe corridor, where motorists have frequently faced harassment.
As to the issue of hoodlums along the Lekki corridor, that is the business of the day for us now.
They are being raided on a daily basis to allow the residents of that area to have peace of mind and so that everybody can ply the roads freely without any harassment or intimidation, he said.
You will notice that for some time now, we have not had incidents of people disturbing residents plying the road from the Lekki axis down to the Island. We are still on their trail.
We will continue until we raid all of them out of that street.
The CP explained that the “street urchins” typically demand money from motorists, damaging vehicles or throwing stones at windscreens when their demands are not met.
He assured residents that raids will continue daily until the area is completely sanitised.
While speaking on Cultism, Police Seek Community Support
Identifying cult groups as a worrisome threat, particularly among youths, CP Tijani said the command is deploying a dual strategy of enforcement and education.
He noted that police units, including POCAVO and ECAP, are visiting schools to sensitise young people against joining cult groups.
However, he stressed that the police cannot succeed alone and called on landlords, parents, and community members to collaborate with law enforcement.
The issue of cultism is not something that only the police can tackle. These men live among us.
They are tenants of some landlords and they are children of some people within the society.
We need to bring them out so that the law can take its course, he said.
Recent Arrests
To underscore recent achievements, the CP paraded several suspects, though their faces were concealed.
He reported that on April 27, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m., operatives of the Festac Division arrested five suspects linked to cult-related violence at a hotel in the Festac area.
One suspect, Bashiru Ajibade, allegedly confessed to belonging to a dreaded cult group operating within Festac and its environs.
Other arrests included a suspect identified as Gorn Rollins, with the recovery of a Beretta pistol, along with other firearms and stolen vehicles.
CP Tijani reaffirmed the Lagos State Police Command’s dedication to its constitutional mandate, vowing to sustain the momentum of its operations.
The Lagos State Police Command remains steadfast in its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property across the state through proactive policing, intelligence-led operations, strategic deployment, and swift response to criminal activities, he concluded.
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