35,000 Gentle Men and Women Commit Crimes in Lagos State in 3 Years, Good People from Lagos Island & Lekki-Ajah Top Criminal List
No fewer than 35,461 criminal cases have been recorded across courts in Lagos State within the last three years, with the Lekki-Ajah and Lagos Island axis emerging as the leading crime hotspots in the state.
The disclosure was made by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing commemorating the third year of the second-term administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
According to Pedro, the figures were obtained from the Lagos Criminal Information System (LCIS), a digital platform created to strengthen criminal justice administration, improve transparency, and support data-driven prosecution processes in the state.
He explained that the LCIS serves as a comprehensive database containing records of criminal matters before Magistrate and High Courts across Lagos, including information on suspects in correctional facilities, defendants granted bail, and convicted persons.
The Attorney-General noted that the platform stores biometric data, photographs, offence records, and court details of individuals who have passed through the criminal justice system.
Pedro revealed that the LCIS had recorded a cumulative total of 84,297 criminal cases as of May 15, 2025, adding that the system has now been expanded to monitor suspects granted bail on first appearance, including those who abscond after release.
He further disclosed that more than 27 per cent of criminal cases recorded within the last three years originated from the Lagos Island and Lekki-Ajah corridor, while Lekki-Ajah alone accounted for over 16 per cent of all cases filed in court.
Other major crime-prone areas identified by the government include Ikorodu, Alimosho, Lagos Mainland/Yaba, and Mushin.
According to Pedro, stealing-related offences remained the most prevalent crimes in Lagos, accounting for 44.7 per cent of cases captured on the LCIS during the review period.
The Attorney-General, however, dismissed the widespread belief that most inmates in custodial centres were awaiting trial. He stated that data from the LCIS showed that over 53 per cent of criminal cases were undergoing trial, while more than 24 per cent had already resulted in convictions.
He added that only 11.2 per cent of the cases involved inmates awaiting trial or remand.
Pedro stressed that the Lagos State Government has continued to deploy technology and digital innovation to strengthen crime prevention, investigation, prosecution, and trial processes within the justice sector.
In a related development, he disclosed that the Lagos State Special Offences Mobile Court prosecuted and adjudicated 58,342 cases involving traffic, environmental, and public order offences between 2023 and 2026.
According to him, offences handled by the court included reckless driving, street trading, illegal collection of dues, resisting arrest, highway obstruction, unlawful conversion of property, and sanitation violations.
He noted that “conduct likely to cause breach of peace” recorded the highest number of prosecutions, with 22,238 cases.
Pedro also revealed that although the Mobile Court was not established as a revenue-generating agency, it generated more than N155.3 million within the review period.
The Attorney-General further disclosed that the Directorate of Public Prosecutions issued 2,342 legal advisories and filed 1,485 criminal charges between 2023 and 2026.
He added that the Directorate also processed 770 plea bargain applications and approved 687 requests as part of efforts to reduce court congestion and speed up criminal trials.
Pedro highlighted notable convictions secured by the state, including the conviction of BRT driver Andrew Nice Ominikoron for the murder of Oluwabamise Ayanwola.
He also referenced the life imprisonment sentences handed to medical doctor Olufemi Olaleye and cleric Chris Mcdouglas Omosekpea in separate rape and defilement cases.
Pedro added that the murder trial involving alleged “Killaboi” suspect Benjamin Best Nnanyereugo is still ongoing before the Lagos High Court.