Cultism: Police arrest 30 in Ijebu

No fewer than 30 suspects for cultisim and other related activities in Ijebu-Ode axis of the Eastern part of Ogun State were arrested by the state police command.

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the arrests to National Mirror yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital, also said the arrests were in line with the command’s renewed war against cultism and related activities, particularly in Ijebu-Ode and environs.

The PPRO also said those arrested were prime suspects and ring leaders of some cult groups on police watch-list, having been involved in many criminal acts that included series of killings of people in the area and other parts of the state.

Adejobi explained that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Val Ntomchukwu, had earlier inaugurated over 10 security teams comprising officers from Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Anti-Robbery unit of the Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence, Mobile Police Force, State Investigation and Intelligence Bureau, among others, on a special anti-cultism operation in Ijebu-Ode and environs.

Headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence, CIID, DCP Shina Olukolu, and other top police officers, the teams within one week of its special operation in Ijebu-Ode, raided many black spots and hideouts of the suspected cultists, which included hotels and other communities in Ijebu-Ode, where it arrested the 30 suspects.

The PPRO gave names of some of the suspected cultists arrested to include one Gbenga Banjo popularly called “Solution”, Dammy, and a notorious suspect called “Jawando” whose real names were unknown.

Others are one Kazeem Akeem, also called “Obalofin”, Oluwatimileyin Akintunde aka “Majek”, Olootu Lukman alias “Eba”, “Neyo” and Oladele Oluniga, among others.

Adejobi also said some of the suspects have been arraigned at the High Court in Ijebu-Ode, while investigation was still on to ascertain the degree of culpability of other suspects and more of the incidences recorded in Ijebu area of the state as directed by CP Ntomchukwu.

The image-maker emphasised that the police boss vowed to take the fight against cultism and other vices to the door steps of the hoodlums, stressing that the command will not allow any individual or group of hoodlums to truncate the existing peace and security arrangement enjoyed in the state.

The police, however, appealed to the general public, particularly people of Ijebu-Ode and environs, to cooperate with the command in its war against criminality in the area.