Troops of 65 Battalion have arrested 24 foreign nationals during a coordinated raid on a suspected hideout in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, following credible intelligence on the presence of undocumented foreign nationals within the town.

The troops, in conjunction with members of a Vigilante Group, raided a secluded fenced compound located at Imokun in the Odo-Noforija/Poka axis of Epe, arresting the 24 foreign nationals comprising 15 males and 9 females.

In a statement on Thursday, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division Lagos, Lt.-Col. Musa Yahaya, said preliminary profiling revealed that the suspects are nationals of various West and Central African countries, Cameroon 10, Togo 6, Côte d’Ivoire, three, Republic of Benin, three, Burkina Faso, one and Guinea-Bissau one.

Yahaya said iniitial investigations had been conducted to ascertain the suspects’ immigration status, purpose of stay and possible involvement in any unlawful activities, while efforts are underway to identify and question the owner of the premises to provide further insight into the circumstances surrounding their residence and activities at the location.

According to him, the suspects had been officially handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Lagos State Command, on 16 July 2026 for further investigation, profiling and necessary administrative action in accordance with extant immigration laws and regulations.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Adebayo Babalola, commended the troops for their professionalism and vigilance, and charged personnel to sustain the ongoing operations and intensify efforts aimed at denying criminal elements, illegal immigrants and other security threats in the Division’s Area of Responsibility (AOR).

Babalola reaffirmed the Division’s commitment to supporting relevant security agencies in maintaining peace, security and public safety across the AOR.