The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has arrested six suspected members of a notorious ‘one-chance’ gang operating beneath the Ijora Bridge corridor in Lagos.
In a decisive and well-coordinated enforcement exercise that underscored the Lagos State Government’s firm commitment to public safety, environmental restoration, and crime prevention, LASTMA officials, on Thursday, 23 October 2025, apprehended the suspects during a joint operation targeting illegal garages and parks run by commercial transporters.
The enforcement team also focused on dismantling unauthorised shanties and criminal hideouts along Apapa Road, Costain, and the Ijora underbridge.
The suspects allegedly robbed unsuspecting commuters after luring them into commercial vehicles — a common criminal tactic in Nigeria known as ‘one chance’.
Stolen Items Recovered
Enforcement officers recovered 77 mobile phones, two Point of Sale (POS) machines, wristwatches, and several other personal belongings believed to have been forcibly taken from victims.
The operation, led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, involved a coalition of operatives from the Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police (MOPOL), Lagos State Task Force, Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), and the Nigerian Army.
According to a statement issued by LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, “Preliminary investigations revealed that the Ijora underbridge axis had long served as a criminal enclave, harbouring miscreants, illegal traders, and ‘one-chance’ syndicates engaged in organised theft, violent assaults, and the dispossession of innocent citizens.”
He added that the area had also become a clandestine storage point for stolen items and contraband goods.
Adulterated Diesel and Expired Snacks Seized
During the operation, enforcement personnel also discovered and seized several kegs of adulterated diesel and over 150 packs of expired plantain chips and cheese balls stored under unsanitary conditions, posing serious health and environmental risks.
LASTMA identified the arrested suspects as Adetunji Bashiru (28), Sulaiman Kada (35), Abubakar Bala (42), Abubakar Ahmed (28), Rasaq Gbadamosi (21), and Ibrahim Yakub (23). Their cases have been transferred to the relevant law enforcement agencies for further investigation and prosecution.
The joint task force demolished more than 120 illegal shanties, including structures built along the perimeter fence of St Peter’s Catholic Nursery and Primary School, Apapa Road, reclaiming the area’s urban integrity and restoring its visual appeal.
Government Reiterates Zero-Tolerance Policy
Mr Giwa reaffirmed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s zero-tolerance policy on environmental violations, illegal occupation of public spaces, and the proliferation of criminal enclaves across Lagos.
He explained that the arrests and clean-up exercise formed part of the government’s comprehensive strategy to make Lagos safer, cleaner, and more liveable.
He also warned criminal elements and illegal occupants still operating beneath bridges and in unauthorised areas to vacate immediately, stressing that similar operations would continue with renewed vigour until full compliance is achieved statewide.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, praised the professionalism and coordination among the participating agencies, describing the operation as a model of effective inter-agency collaboration.
He urged residents to remain vigilant, promptly report suspicious activities, and support the government’s ongoing efforts to sanitise and secure the state’s transport infrastructure.