- Safiu Kehinde
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested 14 suspected cultists in an ongoing sweep operation across the Isara, Ipara, and Ode axis in the state.
The suspects were arrested for unlawful assembly and conspiring to breach the peace of the area.
As disclosed in a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, the suspects allegedly belonging to the Eiye Confraternity were apprehended on Saturday around 1:20pm.
They had reportedly gathered in large numbers at a bush location in Ipara-Remo, Ogun State, planning to initiate new members and conspire to breach the peace through unlawful assembly.
Acting swiftly, a joint team of operatives from the Anti-Cultism Unit and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), supported by personnel from Ipara/Isara Divisions, conducted a coordinated sweep operation, arresting 14 suspects, comprising 13 males and one female.
Among those apprehended are: Solomon Shobamiwo, also known as “Solo Hot”; Farooq Ogunsola; Toheeb Abolade; Balogun Williams; Ayodele Abdulkareem, Adedapo Ogunsanya, and Toheeb Saka.
Other include Akpan Dara, Micheal Olakemi, Habeeb Olayinka, Dapo Adeola, Adetunji Adeyemi, Henry Kingsley, all males and Nanso Blessing who is the only female in the gang.
Items recovered from them include of three locally-made pistols, 11 live cartridges, four rounds of 9mm Beretta ammunition, criminal charms, confraternity caps, and one drum which is part of the tools for cult initiation.
Others include 19 mobile phones, one Samsung mini laptop, and nine vehicles of various brands, some without registration plates and others bearing unauthorized dealer plates.
Meanwhile, the suspects are undergoing investigations with the police vowing to charge them to court upon completion of investigation.
The State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, in his reaction, strongly condemned unlawful assembly, breach of peace, and all cult-related criminal activities in Ogun State.
He called on youths to renounce cultism and criminal associations.