The Lagos State Police Command says it has detained six people suspected of belonging to a long-running network accused of diverting imported consignments valued at over N20 billion from Apapa Port during the last 19 years.
Police named Jamiu Lateef and Abubakar Amadu as alleged coordinators of the operation. According to the command, the pair own multiple trailers used in moving imported cargo and hold properties or business interests in Niger Republic, Benin Republic and elsewhere.
Operatives from the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested the suspects after importers reported that their consignments had disappeared. The other suspects are Aliu Olanshile, Opeyemi Oyewale, Hassana Malami and Hassana Haruna. Police said the six are linked to one of two prominent cargo-diversion groups believed to be active in the country.
A police source, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that the network had repeatedly taken consignments worth hundreds of millions and billions of naira. The source further claimed that some members had faced arrest and prosecution for related offences in the past but resumed operations after their release.
According to the source, about four suspects, including Lateef and Amadu, left prison in February 2026, while several drivers connected to the group were freed roughly two months afterward. The alleged operators reportedly positioned themselves around Lagos ports and approached importers looking for trucks to deliver cargo to destinations across Nigeria.
The source said the suspects also followed WhatsApp groups used by haulage operators and logistics firms to find transport assignments. Once they took possession of the goods, they allegedly abandoned contact, switched phones and replaced SIM cards to frustrate efforts to locate them.
Police reportedly found 11 phones and eight SIM cards on Amadu at the time of his arrest. The source alleged that he had been arrested in 2023 with 49 phones and 188 SIM cards.
Police Link Group to Alleged N3bn Cargo Theft
The command said the most recent case under investigation involved a consignment estimated at N3 billion, comprising forklifts, textiles and imported plates.
According to the police, the suspects agreed to move the cargo from Lagos to Kano for an importer. After the goods were loaded at Apapa Port, they allegedly redirected the truck to Ojota, where the consignment was unloaded and sold. Lateef, whom police identified as one of the alleged organisers, reportedly acknowledged the diversion during interrogation.
“We agreed to assist the importer in transporting the goods from the Lagos port to Kano. We negotiated and loaded the consignment, but rather than proceed to Kano, we took it to Ojota, offloaded it and sold it to our buyers,” he said.
Lateef also reportedly told investigators that he travelled regularly between Nigeria and Benin Republic, where he had invested in businesses. Amadu, 45, allegedly said he and Lateef had been diverting cargo for about 19 years. He reportedly said they met while driving trucks for previous employers before beginning their own operations.
As the investigation progressed, police said some of the missing fabrics were located in a market in Agege. The importer reportedly confirmed the items, which helped investigators identify alleged buyers, drivers and the two suspected leaders.
The Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, called the arrests a significant breakthrough for the Anti-Kidnapping Unit. She said the investigation remained active and that officers were working to apprehend other alleged participants and retrieve more consignments believed to have been taken in earlier incidents.
