Operatives of the Lagos State police command have arrested about 100 suspected criminals in the state. Of the number, 86 suspected cult members were nabbed in Ikorodu area of the state with 11 pistols recovered from them, while others were picked in other locations.
They were arrested on Saturday at about 6:00a.m. by the Special Strike Force on Social Miscreants, established by the Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu. The Strike Force, acting on credible intelligence, first arrested 21 cult suspects at Adamo Community, Imota.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkana, in a statement yesterday said the suspects who belonged to two rival cult groups, Aiye and Eiye confraternities, mobilised from Emure and Adamo communities to unleash terror on residents of Adamo and environs.
“The arrest was carried out in a joint operation with operatives from Imota Police Station, Rapid Response Squad, Special Anti Robbery Squad and Area N Command. This is a follow up to the operations carried out at Ijede where 65 cult suspects were arrested.
“Eleven assorted pistols of different calibre with large quantity of ammunition were recovered from the suspects. The suspects confessed to be responsible for series of violent attacks, murder and armed robbery incidents recorded in Ikorodu area. The suspects will be charged to court. The Commissioner of Police further reaffirmed the commitment of the command to address the menace of cultism and youth gangsterism in the state”.
It would be recalled that last week, 13 suspected cultists were reported killed in the ongoing clash between members of the Eiye and Aiye confraternities in Ijede Local Council Development Area of Lagos State. The cultists freely use sophisticated weapons in the Luwasa, Igbe and Ijede areas of Ikorodu.
Nine of the 13 deceased cultists were said to have been killed by members of rival groups, while the remaining four were allegedly killed by soldiers, who gave them a hot chase after reportedly burning the family house of the Obateru of Egbin in Ijede.
DSP Elkana, stated that in another development three notorious traffic robbery suspects were arrested at about 5:30a.m. following a sustained monitoring by police operatives deployed to Ipaja area on anti traffic robbery patrol (motorcycle patrol). The traffic robbery suspects are Hassan Lekan, 19; Owolabi Seyi, 18; and Ismailia Ibrahim, 19.
“The suspects specialised in snatching hand bags, phones and money from unsuspecting members of the public. They mostly operated between 4:00a.m. and 7:00a.m. Items recovered from them include phones and bags they snatched from three different victims.”
(Text, courtesy of The Guardian)