The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four suspected members of a notorious cult group and recovered firearms, ammunition and other dangerous weapons during a targeted operation in the Egbeda area of the state.
The suspects: Nurudeen Ganiu, 34; Oluwaleke Fagbula, 38; Emmanuel Silas, 41; and Nurudeen Abdullahi, 41, were apprehended following intelligence reports linking them to cult-related violence and other criminal activities in Alimosho and neighbouring communities.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the arrests were made after operatives received credible information that suspected cultists were planning an initiation ceremony in Egbeda.
“Acting on credible intelligence regarding the activities of suspected cult members in the area, operatives of the Command launched a covert operation which led to the arrest of four suspects during a midnight raid,” Adebisi said.
She disclosed that a search conducted during the operation led to the recovery of a locally-made cut-to-size pistol, an English Beretta pistol loaded with ten live cartridges and a jack knife.
Adebisi said preliminary investigations revealed that one of the suspects is an alleged cult gang leader and a former student of a university in Ogun State who was reportedly expelled in 2022 over cult-related activities.
“Further investigations established that the suspects are linked to a cult group that has been involved in acts of thuggery and violence within Egbeda and its environs. One of the suspects is believed to be a notorious cult kingpin who has been on the radar of security agencies,” she said.
The police spokesperson added that the suspects allegedly confessed to being members of the Eiye Confraternity and provided useful information to investigators regarding the group’s activities.
“Investigations so far indicate that the gang operates mainly on motorcycles, using them to launch attacks on unsuspecting members of the public and disrupt social gatherings at gunpoint,” Adebisi stated.
She noted that the arrest was part of the Command’s sustained efforts to rid Lagos communities of cultism, violent crimes and other threats to public safety.
Commending the operatives involved in the operation, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to tackling cultism and criminality across the state.
“The Command remains steadfast in its resolve to combat cultism and all forms of violent crime. We will continue to deploy intelligence-led strategies and proactive policing measures to ensure the safety of all residents,” Adebisi quoted the Commissioner as saying.
She urged residents to remain vigilant and support law enforcement efforts by providing timely and credible information on criminal activities.
The suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue, after which they will be charged to court.
