…CP Ogunbode commends Joint Monitoring Task Force for swift action

The Airport Police Command has arraigned fourteen suspects arrested for stealing building materials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The suspects were apprehended on April 20, 2026, between 1900hrs and 2000hrs at the Terminal 1 buidling 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.

According to ASP Mohammed Adeola, Police Public Relations Officer of the Airport Police Command, project managers handling the renovation works had reported repeated cases of missing building materials within the Terminal 1 axis prior to the arrests.

This led to increased surveillance and patrols in the area. On the evening of the incident, credible intelligence indicated unauthorized persons within the restricted construction zone, prompting an immediate response from security operatives.

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 revealed that the suspects gained access to the facility by impersonating construction company staff, thereby breaching established security protocols.

Following due investigation, the suspects were charged before the Magistrate Court for Special Offences, Oshodi, Lagos, on April 21, 2026. Thirteen 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.

The Commissioner of Police, Airport Police Command, CP Ogunbode Olufunke, Mnips, PhD, 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.