By David Afolabi
The Lagos State Government said no fewer than 35,461 criminal cases were recorded across courts in the state within the last three years, as data from its Lagos Criminal Information System (LCIS) highlights Lekki, Ajah and Lagos Island as leading crime hotspots.
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, disclosed this during the 2026 ministerial press briefing marking the seventh anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.
Pedro said the LCIS, a digital platform designed to strengthen criminal justice administration, has become a central databank for tracking criminal cases across Magistrate and High Courts in Lagos State.
According to him, the system captures defendants in custody, suspects on bail, and convicted persons, along with biometric data, photographs, offence records, and court details.
“The system is a databank of all criminal cases pending in Magistrates and High Courts in Lagos State, where the defendant is in custody in any of the correctional centres in Lagos State or granted bail by the court,” Pedro said.
He added that the platform had recorded an all-time total of 84,297 criminal cases as of May 15, 2025, and has now been expanded to track suspects who have been granted bail and those who abscond after appearing in court.
Pedro revealed that over 27 per cent of criminal cases recorded within the last three years originated from the Lagos Island and Lekki-Ajah axis, with Lekki/Ajah alone accounting for more than 16 per cent of total filings.
Other high-case areas include Ikorodu, Alimosho, Lagos Mainland/Yaba, and Mushin.
He further disclosed that stealing-related offences accounted for 44.7 per cent of all cases recorded on the LCIS during the review period, making it the most prevalent crime category in the state.
On incarceration trends, Pedro dismissed public perceptions that most inmates in Lagos correctional centres are awaiting trial, insisting that data from the LCIS shows otherwise.
He stated that more than 53 per cent of cases are currently at the trial stage, while convictions have been secured in over 24 per cent of cases handled during the period.
Pedro added that only about 11.2 per cent of cases involve persons awaiting trial or on remand.
He said the state government continues to deploy digital tools and reforms to improve investigation, prosecution, and trial processes within the criminal justice system.
