Thirty suspected cult members are presently in police custody following a raid on an alleged initiation procession in Isara-Remo, Ogun State, where operatives also recovered vehicles and other items believed to have been used during the gathering.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) of the Ogun State Police Command in collaboration with detectives from the Isara Area Command and Isara Division during a coordinated operation carried out on June 16, 2026.
The raid followed intelligence reports indicating that a group of suspected hoodlums had converged at an uncompleted building in Isara-Remo for what police described as an unlawful gathering involving meetings, chanting, alcohol consumption and suspected cult initiation activities.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the operation was launched after security agencies received credible intelligence about the gathering.
“On June 16, 2026, at about 1600 hours, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, in collaboration with detectives from Isara Area Command and Isara Division, successfully smashed a suspected cultist initiation procession in Isara-Remo following credible intelligence,” Babaseyi said.
According to him, the Commander of the VCRU immediately mobilised a combined team of operatives who stormed the location and dispersed the gathering.
“Acting on the intelligence, the Commander of the VCRU swiftly mobilised a combined team of operatives from the Unit, Isara Area Command and Isara Division. The operatives stormed the location, dispersed the gathering and arrested the suspects in a well-coordinated tactical operation,” he stated.
The police spokesman disclosed that four vehicles allegedly abandoned by fleeing suspects were recovered during the operation.
He added that officers also recovered several exhibits, including a jackknife, a local drum, a “sekere” (traditional rattle) and bottles suspected to have been used for alcohol consumption during the gathering.
“Four vehicles allegedly abandoned during the attempted escape were recovered at the scene alongside exhibits including one jackknife, one local drum, one sekere and bottles suspected to have been used for alcohol consumption during the illegal assembly,” Babaseyi said.
He noted that all the suspects had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
“The suspects were immediately taken into custody and have since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Abeokuta, where they are currently undergoing investigation and will be charged to court upon completion of investigation. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects,” he added.
Babaseyi said the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the operatives for their professionalism and swift response, describing the operation as another demonstration of the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing.
“The Commissioner of Police commended the swift response, discipline and professionalism of the operatives involved, describing the operation as a clear demonstration of the Command’s sustained intelligence-led policing strategy and zero tolerance for violent crime and unlawful assemblies,” he said.
According to the police spokesman, the commissioner reiterated that cultism and other related criminal activities would not be tolerated anywhere in Ogun State.
“He reiterated that cultism and related criminal activities will not be condoned in any part of the state,” Babaseyi stated.
The command also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious gatherings, movements or criminal activities to the nearest police formation, assuring that efforts to rid the state of cultism and other violent crimes would be sustained.
The latest operation is part of ongoing measures by the Ogun State Police Command to combat cult-related violence and strengthen public safety through proactive policing and intelligence-driven enforcement actions.
