…As CP Ogunbode Commends Joint Monitoring Task Force For Swift Action
The Airport Police Command has arraigned 14 suspects arrested for stealing building materials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Airport Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mohammed Adeola, informed that the suspects were apprehended on April 20, 2026, between 1900hrs and 2000hrs at the Terminal 1 building currently undergoing renovation, by the Joint Monitoring Task Force (JMTF), a collaborative security team comprising personnel of the Airport Police Command and other key security agencies, during a routine patrol.
The PPRO explained that prior to the arrest, project managers overseeing the renovation works had reported persistent cases of missing building materials within the Terminal 1 axis.
This, he said prompted intensified surveillance and patrol operations around the area, adding that on the evening of the incident, credible intelligence revealed the presence of unauthorised individuals within the restricted construction zone, necessitating immediate intervention by security operatives.
The Command spokesman further explained that upon arrival at the scene, fourteen suspects, namely Muhammed Sadiq, Aliu Umaru, Nuhu Muhammed, Adam Muhammed, Husaini Garuba, Suleman Umaru, Muhammed Musa, Ali Ali, Haruna Adamu, Umaru Musa, Henry Kumasen, Aliu Umaru, Idris Umaru, and Bakura Mustapha, were apprehended in possession of high-value copper wires, iron components, and other building materials.
Further investigation, he said revealed that the suspects gained access to the facility by impersonating construction company staff, thereby breaching established security protocols.
The spokesman said that following due investigation, the suspects were charged before the Magistrate Court for Special Offences, Oshodi, Lagos, on April 21, 2026.
He said 13 of the suspects who pleaded guilty were convicted and sentenced to one year and seven months’ imprisonment, while the remaining suspect, who pleaded not guilty, has been remanded in custody with the case adjourned to June 16, 2026.
Speaking on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Airport Police Command, CP Ogunbode Olufunke, commended the operatives of the Joint Monitoring Task Force for their vigilance and professionalism, noting that their swift action reinforces the Command’s zero-tolerance stance against criminal activities within the aviation environment.
She further reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustained collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure the safety, security, and integrity of airport operations.
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