By Christopher Oji
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 80 suspected cultists between April and July 14, 2023 . Giving a breakdown of how the suspects were nabbed, the police said in April, 42 suspected cultists belonging to different groups were arrested at different places within the state, while 17 others were arrested in June.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who paraded 27 suspected criminal,said that 20 of them were suspected cultists.
Hundeyin said that the suspects paraded were arrested within three weeks, stressing that cultism has become a major crime that was giving the command serious problem.
According to him, Mushin, Ikorodu, Okokomaiko, Ebute-Metta, Obalende, Lekki-Ajah, Shomolu, Badagry, were areas where the suspects have their bases.
Hundeyin, said that the police recovered dangerous weapons, including ammunition, guns, cutlasses, knives, charms of all kinds,and their Barrets representing their groups.
Hundeyin, appealed to the members of the public to join hands in bringing the menace to an end in Lagos State.
He said, amongst those paraded were suspected armed robbers, murderer and suspected vandals .
“From all these cases which we successfully cracked, we recovered a total of six arms, 12 live ammunition, one knife, two motorcycles, one vehicle and sim cards,” he said.
Explaining further, Hundeyin said on June 30th, at about 2.00 p.m., based on credible intelligence that a group of boys suspected to be members of Kesari Confraternity were planning to retaliate their leader’s death on other rival cult members in Mushin area.
He said police operatives from the command swung into action and arrested five suspects who were between ages 20 and 27.
He said that the suspects were members of a notorious armed robbery/cultism gang terrorizing Mushin and its environs and that they confessed to being active members of the confraternity.
Hundeyin, said that two Eiye confraternity members were also arrested at Ebute-Metta area on Tuesday, while they were brandishing arms to go and attack rival cult members in same area.
He said that the operatives arrested 10 others, including a female member at Iba Okokomaiko after they allegedly killed one Ojo Lion.
“The suspects confessed to being members of Eiye confraternity. locally made single barrel pistol with two live cartridges were recovered from them,” he said.
The image maker said one pipeline vandal, whose gang allegedly vandalised the NNPC Pipeline at Idimu on July 6, 2023 was arrested, while efforts were on to arrest other members of the gang.
He said that the suspects paraded would be charged to court immediately after the parade.