The putrid stench of rotting garbage mixed with gunpowder in the dead of night as Lagos police operatives descended on an unlikely criminal hideout – the sprawling Katangua refuse dump in Abule Egba.
What began as a covert operation based on intelligence from arrested robbery kingpin Yakubu Adeyemi escalated into a fierce firefight that would claim the life of one Blessing, a suspected armed robber who had turned the dumpsite into his operational base.
At precisely 1:30 am, under the dim glow of the landfill’s sparse lighting, the police team moved in to apprehend Blessing and recover the gang’s arsenal. But the suspect, perhaps sensing the approaching danger, chose confrontation over surrender.
The ensuing gun duel echoed across the waste mounds as Blessing’s bullets whizzed through the darkness, met by precise return fire from the officers. When the smoke cleared, the robber lay bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds, his weapons scattered beside him – an AK-47 rifle with five live rounds, a locally-made pistol, and four cartridges telling the story of what could have been another violent robbery operation.
Police spokesperson CSP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the suspect was rushed to Oke Odo General Hospital where doctors could only pronounce his arrival as a corpse. The recovery of such sophisticated weaponry from a garbage dump highlights the alarming reality of how criminal elements are exploiting neglected urban spaces across Lagos.
As forensic teams processed the scene and the body was moved to Mainland Hospital mortuary, the police vowed to intensify their manhunt for Blessing’s fleeing accomplices.
This operation exposes the dual nature of Lagos’ sprawling dumpsites – both environmental hazards and potential security threats when criminals transform them into makeshift fortresses.
For Abule Egba residents, the dawn brought mixed emotions: relief at one less armed robber on the streets, but unease knowing his gang members remain at large, possibly regrouping in another forgotten corner of the metropolis.
The Lagos Police Command’s decisive action serves as both warning and reassurance – that even in the city’s most overlooked spaces, the long arm of the law can still reach.
