No fewer than 69 cultist have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command. The suspects who were arrested in different parts of the state belonged to the Aiye, Eiye and Vikings cult groups.
Parading the suspects at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja, the Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal disclosed that 57 of the cultists were allegedly arrested during their initiation rites at Elemoro Ajah area of Lagos. Edgal stated that the suspected were arrested based on credible intelligence on the activities of the cultists.
Speaking on how some of the suspects were arrested, the Commissioner of Police said the rites were done through blood as the left thumbs of the suspects had been pierced with a razor blade to perfect the initiation.
He said, ” Based on credible intelligence that members of the dreaded Aiye Confraternity were performing their initiation rites at a shrine in a thickly forested part of Abule Egbanu in Elemoro, Ajah Lagos.
The Divisional Police Officer, SP Mohammed Shehu Limawa mobilised his men for an imminent operation. “The DPO received support from the undercover operatives of Area J Elemoro and the men of Anti-Cultism Unit of the Command.
Together they stormed the area and arrested 57 members of the notorious Aiye Confraternity.” Edgal disclosed that some of the cultists were under the influence of drug and alcohol as they were half out of their mind at the time of their arrest. Similarly, he revealed that five members of the Eiye confraternity were also arrested in the Ikorodu area.
The suspects While six others were also arrested at Ijegun in Satellite Town Lagos. Recovered from the suspects are two locally made cut to sized guns, three live cartridges and twenty-two expended cartridges, two Suzuki mini buses with Registration No. LND 893 XV and EPE 189 XV respectively, one Volkswagen bus with Registration No. Epe 580 X9.
Also one Mitsubishi Space Wagon coloured with Registration No. SMK 455 AL, one grey coloured Toyota Camry with Registration No. BD9760 DH and one grey coloured Toyota Camry with Registration No. LSD 506 EC.
One of the suspect who is a University graduate Emmanuel Solomon 22 years said, ” I am a Computer Science graduate from Saint Felicitete’ University in Benin Republic.
I graduated in 2016 and served in Kwara State.” Another Suspect, Ikechukwu Francis who claimed to be a father of two denied been a cultist. He said, ” it was one of the cultist whom I had bought a phone from that him and have been unable to complete payment.
He had been angry with me and when the police arrested him and asked him to go point his other colleagues, he led them to my house.
I am not a cultist but a responsible married man.” Some of the suspects include: Talabi Akeem, Edema Joseph, Olagoke James, Samuel Ojabo, Rasheed Lasisi, Emeka Lapofgod, Ahmed Olaniran, Yusuf Sherif, Mohammed Habeeb, Ze Jonathan and others.
