Lagos State Police Command has arrested 20 suspected cultists including seven minors.
Some of the suspects were arrested while on their way to carry out reprisal attack on rival cult members. Most of those arrested are members of the Eiye secret cult gang.
Dangerous weapons such as local and foreign made guns, cutlasses and axes were recovered from suspects.
The state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, who paraded the suspects, said it was becoming worrisome that minors are being recruited into cult groups.
He said the Officer in charge of Anti-cultism, SP Agbegbe Godwin, acting on information about a dreaded cult group terrorizing the people of Ejinirin-Iworo area of Ikorodu, swung into action with his team.
The operatives arrested four suspected cultists who
confessed to belonging to the cult group.
The suspects were identified as 20-year-old Hassan Olaniyi, 18-year-old Afolabi Muiz, 26-year-old Wahab Moshood, who doubles as the leader and kingpin of the cult group and 23-year-old Ajenifuja Damola.
Edgal said three cutlasses and two sharp knives were recovered from the suspects, adding that the suspects would be charged to court.
Similarly, the Igbogbo Divisional Police Officer, CSP Isa Lawan, received information that a cult group would be gathering at Bayeku area Igbogbo in Ikorodu for the initiation ceremony of newly recruited members.
The DPO was said to have mobilized his undercover team to the location and effected the arrests of the suspects during the initiation.
The suspects include; 24-year-old Lekan David, 19-year-olds Eko John and Kudus Idris, 17-year-olds Shakiru Ademode, Ibrahim Waheed, Adebowale Uthman, Yusuf Wale and Abimbola Gbadamosi, 18-year-olds Rahman Adepoju and Alabi Abidemi, 23-year-old Seun Giwa, 16-year-olds Ganiyu Babatunde and Liyasu Azeez.
Three of the suspects; David, John, and Idris confessed they were members of dreaded Eiye confraternity, adding that they were arrested while conducting initiation for newly recruited members.
The preliminary investigation further revealed that the suspected cultists, who reside in Lagos Island, had lured the newly recruited members that they were going to a party in Ogun State.
Edgal said one worrisome thing about this arrest was that seven of the 13 suspects are minors.
He said the minors would be transferred to the Gender unit of the state command for diligent prosecution, while the remaining six would be charged to court.
Also, the command arrested 35-year-old Lukman Olawale Agboola (aka Baggo) a suspected cultist and leader of the Eiye confraternity for threatening people with a gun at New Garage area, Bariga.
Upon getting the information, Anti-Kidnapping and Intelligence teams of the squad swung into action to track down the illegal arm bearer.
The CP said: “Our efforts paid off when we tracked him down and arrested him on a bike along Ogooluwa Street, Bariga. The said Lukuman was discovered to have caused the death of one Adegoke Philip alias Major, on August 21, 2017.
On that day, he was in company with deadly cult members; Rainbow, Aranze, Segun AKA Gbodon, Adekunle, Asumo, Ade, and Agbara.
The late Adegoke was stabbed to death by the aforementioned members of Eiye confraternity led by Agboola.
On why he killed Adegoke, it was gathered that the suspect and the deceased, alongside others, were on August 20, 2017, given a cash gift of N20,000 by a local politician.
When the suspect wanted to receive the money from the politician, another cult leader, identified as Ahmed, was faster and took the money from the politician.
This angered the suspect and he became unruly, prompting the deceased to rebuke him and it resulted to quarrel.
Although they left, the suspect did not forgive the deceased as he murdered him the next day.
Edgal said the case would be transferred to homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, for further investigation.
In another incident, the police also arrested 37-year-old Owodubi Ilesanmi at the Makoko area of Bariga.
He was fingered as one of the leaders of Eiye cult and a close associate of the late Major.
Also, one Juwon Michael alias ocean, was arrested at Shogbon street, Akoka area of Bariga.
He was identified as one of the Aye confraternity leaders in Akoka area of Bariga.
Other top members of this group include; Toshiba, Rahman, Sharafa, Alagba, Egin, Latifu, Mayoka, Obolo, and Tunmise.
The suspect confessed that on December 2015, he killed one Sogba at Ebute area, Ilaje Bariga, adding that he was initiated to Aiye cult two years ago at Ajah area of Lagos.
