The Lagos State Police Command says it has uncovered an illegal brewery at Egbe-Afa in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, while five suspects have been arrested. The illegal brewery produces Malt drinks, stout and ethanol which they pumped into trucks to bottle at another location in what looked like a syndicate.

Mr Edgal Imohimi, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, made this known to newsmen at the scene on Wednesday. Imohimi said that the suspects would be subjected to further interrogation to know where the drinks were bottled and sold.

He said that the illegal brewery would be sealed and samples of the drinks would be sent to the laboratory for test.

The police chief attributed discovery of the illegal brewery to the efforts of community policing and partnership.

According to him, the people of Lagos are showing increasing confidence in the police.

Imohimi urged residents to know their neighbours, saying that vigilance was the only way to have a crime-free society.

“This success story of the police is an evidence that community policing and partnership is working in the state.

“This is an illegal distillery where malt, stout and ethanol are being produced in an unhygienic environment thereby feeding poison to the people.

“You will recall that a fake wine factory was also discovered at Mushin recently. This is as a result of vigilance. I encourage the people to do more.

“This is an information which should have got to the police earlier, but I commend the people for sharing this information with the police.

“People must be deeply involved in crime fighting and this can only be done if we are vigilant.

“Lagosians can only give credible information to the people when they are healthy; so I will encourage you to say something when you see something,” he said.

The illegal brewery has more than 1,000 drums of brewed malt and 100 tanks where the drinks are pumped before supplying tankers.

A building where operational items of the suspects were kept was also located close to the illegal brewery.