Security operatives from Lagos and Ogun states have launched a joint offensive targeting criminal networks operating along the border corridor between the two states. The extensive crackdown has led to the arrest of 88 suspects, the rescue of five kidnapped victims, the recovery of various arms and ammunition, and the death of four suspected criminals during violent encounters with security personnel.
The security initiative, codenamed Operation Kosaye, a Yoruba phrase meaning "there is no hiding place," was established by the Nigeria Police Force to dismantle active kidnapping syndicates, armed robbery gangs, and other violent criminal groups. These criminal elements have frequently exploited forests and shared border communities between Lagos and Ogun states as operational hideouts to evade justice.
The recent breakthrough followed coordinated operations executed by the Lagos and Ogun State police commands. Law enforcement operatives systematically combed dense forest locations and suspected criminal hideouts along the J3 and J4 axis of Ogbere in Ogun State, alongside several other identified flashpoints scattered across both territories.
The joint initiative was formally launched by police authorities at the Police Training School located in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State. During the launching ceremony, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Bode Ojajuni, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, jointly outlined the core operational objectives of the security exercise.
Ojajuni explained that the operation was specifically structured to flush out kidnappers and other violent actors hiding inside forests, border communities, and ungoverned spaces across the two neighboring states. He noted that the chosen name Kosaye perfectly captured the ultimate mission of the security team, ensuring that criminals are left with no safe haven within the Lagos-Ogun axis.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun have both commended the security initiative, describing the joint operation as clear evidence of the immense value of inter-state collaboration in addressing regional insecurity. Sanwo-Olu, speaking through a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, praised the police and sister security agencies for their massive onslaught against criminal elements.
The Lagos governor noted that the impressive results recorded under the operation demonstrated the practical effectiveness of intelligence-led policing and close cooperation between neighboring states. Sanwo-Olu said, “We will continue to work with the police and other security agencies to ensure that our state is safe and secure for residents and visitors. We appreciate the huge efforts of the police as directed by Inspector-General Olatunji Disu, in arresting the suspects and the cooperation of our neighbours, Ogun State. This is the way it should be,”
He further urged members of the public to continue supporting law enforcement agencies by providing timely information regarding criminal activities and suspicious hideouts, adding, “We will do our best to ensure that our law enforcement agencies are well motivated through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund,”
On his part, Governor Abiodun described the operation as a proactive and intelligence-driven response to emerging security threats facing the border areas. In an official statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, the governor stated that the robust collaboration between both states had successfully restored public confidence in the ability of security agencies to safeguard lives and property.
Abiodun said, “The achievements recorded under ‘Operation Kosaye’ have restored public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force and reinforced the commitment of security agencies to the protection of lives and property,” He added that the sustained security offensive had effectively made the border regions increasingly unviable for criminal actors seeking to exploit state boundaries.
The Ogun governor noted, “The sustained offensive against criminal elements has effectively made Ogun and Lagos States increasingly hostile to kidnappers, bandits and other violent criminals who had attempted to exploit the shared border communities as safe havens,”
Abiodun also commended the Inspector-General of Police, the Lagos and Ogun police commissioners, and the tactical officers involved in the field exercises. He maintained, “Operation Kosaye has demonstrated the importance of collaboration, intelligence sharing and coordinated inter-state action in tackling emerging security threats,” He subsequently urged other state governments across the country to adopt similar joint security frameworks to prevent criminal elements from taking advantage of administrative boundaries to escape arrest.
According to security authorities, the special operation will remain active as operatives continue to intensify surveillance and intelligence-gathering efforts across forests, border communities, and other remote locations identified as potential criminal hideouts. The Lagos and Ogun state governments also reaffirmed their mutual commitment to providing continuous logistical support, advanced technology, and vital resources to strengthen the security operations across the two states.
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