The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has arrested six suspected members of a “one-chance” robbery gang operating under the Ijora Bridge.
According to LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs, Adebayo Taofiq, the arrests followed a joint operation on Thursday, October 23, 2025, involving the Police, Mobile Police, Army, Lagos State Task Force, and Environmental Sanitation Corps. The exercise targeted illegal garages, shanties, and criminal enclaves along Apapa Road, Costain, and Ijora.
Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, Sola Giwa, said the operation reflects the government’s zero-tolerance for environmental abuse and criminal occupation of public spaces. “We’re committed to keeping Lagos safe, clean, and orderly. Criminals and illegal occupants under bridges must vacate immediately,” he warned.
Recovered items included 77 phones, two POS machines, wristwatches, adulterated diesel, and over 150 packs of expired snacks. More than 120 illegal shanties were also demolished, including those near St. Peter’s Catholic Primary School.
LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, praised the inter-agency collaboration, noting that the agency’s duties extend beyond traffic control to public safety and infrastructure protection.
The suspects Adetunji Bashiru (28), Sulaiman Kada (35), Abubakar Bala (42), Abubakar Ahmed (28), Rasaq Gbadamosi (21), and Ibrahim Yakub (23) have been handed over to the police for further investigation.
