Police arrest suspected cultist in Kwara, recover locally made pistol

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a suspected cultist and recovered a locally fabricated pistol during a joint security operation in Ilorin, the state capital, as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle violent criminal networks and curb cult-related activities across the state.

The suspect, identified as Agboola Olamilekan, was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation carried out by police operatives in collaboration with other security agencies and the Kwara State Polytechnic Security Unit.

According to the command, the suspect was found in possession of the locally fabricated firearm at the time of his arrest. It described the operation as another breakthrough in its sustained campaign against cultism and the proliferation of illegal weapons.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the operation formed part of the command’s broader strategy to deny criminal elements the opportunity to operate in the state through proactive and intelligence-led policing.

She said, “The operation forms part of the Command’s sustained efforts to disrupt cult-related activities, curb the proliferation of illegal firearms, and deny criminal elements the opportunity to thrive within Kwara State.”

Ejire-Adeyemi added that investigations were ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the criminal network linked to the suspect.

She assured residents that the police would continue to intensify efforts to ensure those threatening public peace are brought to justice.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ojo Adekimi, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustaining the operational momentum against cultism and other violent crimes, stressing that security agencies would not relent in their efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.

Adekimi said, “Every successful operation represents another step towards dismantling criminal networks and enhancing public safety across the state through proactive and intelligence-led policing.”

He further stated that the command remained committed to advancing the policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, through intelligence-led policing, strategic partnerships and sustained operations aimed at dismantling criminal groups across the state.

The latest arrest adds to the growing number of cultism-related arrests recorded in the state capital in recent weeks, reflecting the command’s intensified crackdown on violent groups and the proliferation of illegal firearms.

The PidomNigeria recalls that on June 26, the command arrested two suspected cult members, identified as 33-year-old Abdullahi Jimoh Omotoho and Abdullahi Kareem Kawu, popularly known as “B-Red,” in separate intelligence-led operations.

Police also recovered a locally fabricated firearm from the suspects, saying the arrests followed credible intelligence and sustained surveillance within the Ilorin metropolis.