Lagos – A group of about 15 masked armed men, disguised in Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) uniforms, stormed Seafortunes Hotels Limited in Lagos early last Sunday morning, subjecting guests and staff to hours of brutal torture and robbery.
The criminals, along with thugs posing as policemen, carried out the attack around 4 a.m. on Ago Palace Way, forcibly removing a large power-generating set from the hotel premises.
The heavily armed gang arrived at the hotel in the dead of night, opening fire sporadically before breaking into the hotel rooms to loot the guests’ belongings.
Sources report that the men demanded the whereabouts of the hotel’s owner and held everyone present hostage for several hours.
The hotel’s CEO, Nwukwa Fortune, shared the horrifying details of the attack, stating, “Last Sunday morning, around 4 a.m., I received a call from one of my customers informing me that armed men had invaded the hotel. They rounded up the staff and security personnel and began dismantling the generating set. They asked for me, but after being told I was not on the premises, they proceeded with their plan.”
The assailants, described as a mix of NSCDC personnel and unidentified thugs posing as policemen, reportedly went on a rampage, searching for the owner and taking all guests hostage in the process.
A neighbor whose car blocked access to the generator was reportedly chased to his apartment and assaulted. The gang then brought in a heavy-duty crane to remove the generator, loading it onto a truck before fleeing the scene.
Fortune later discovered through CCTV footage that at least 15 of the attackers were wearing NSCDC uniforms, while others were identified as local thugs who had posed as law enforcement to gain access to the hotel.
“The men were about 30 in total,” Fortune explained. “Fifteen wore NSCDC uniforms and masks, while the others were thugs who initially claimed to be policemen to deceive our staff.” After reviewing the CCTV footage, Fortune was able to identify the attackers as NSCDC personnel.
The motive behind the invasion appears to be linked to a past dispute between the hotel’s previous manager and a local businessman, identified as Nicholas, who had a financial issue with the hotel’s former lessee, Mr. Ogbonna.
According to Fortune, Nicholas had sold diesel worth N3 million to Ogbonna, but the payment was never made.
“After Mr. Ogbonna was disengaged last year, creditors started coming after him, including Nicholas,” Fortune said. “Nicholas petitioned the hotel, claiming we owed him money for the transaction, but we explained that the agreement was with Ogbonna, not the hotel.”
The hotel’s management showed Nicholas the relevant paperwork, but tensions escalated. Nicholas filed a police complaint at the Area E Police Station, where Fortune was questioned but later cleared of any wrongdoing. Despite this, Nicholas continued to press his claims.
“An agreement was reached, and Mr. Ogbonna was arrested by the police,” Fortune explained. “Nicholas was asked to come to the station to resolve the issue, but he failed to show up.”
As the investigation continues, the identity and whereabouts of the armed attackers remain unclear. However, local authorities have expressed concern about the involvement of NSCDC personnel in what appears to be a calculated act of violence and theft, with the stolen generator still unaccounted for.
The incident highlights growing concerns about the safety of both businesses and residents in Lagos, with authorities under increasing pressure to investigate the involvement of law enforcement officers in criminal activities.