Police nab five suspected cultists in Lagos

The Lagos state police command has arrested five suspected cultists terrorising the Apapa, Ijora and Badia areas of the state.

The arrests were disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by CSP Abimbola Adebisi, the police public relations officer,

According to the statement, operatives of the command’s violent crime response unit acted oncredible intelligence to apprehend one of the suspects, identified as Abubakar Ayomide, popularly known as “Garbazin.”

“Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit, acting on credible intelligence, have arrested five suspected cultists believed to be terrorising the Apapa, Ijora and Badia areas of Lagos State,” the statement said.

It added, “The operation led to the arrest of a suspect, one Abubakar Ayomide, alias ‘Garbazin’, 25 years, who subsequently led operatives to the group’s hideout, where four other suspects were apprehended.

The other suspects were identified as Tanko Yusuf, 23; Ahmed Abibu, 24; Abubakar Shafi, 23; and Fatai Mohammed, 25.

Police said the principal suspect admitted to being a member of the Aiye Confraternity and has provided investigators with useful information.

“The principal suspect confessed to being a member of the Aiye Confraternity and has provided useful information to investigators. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal gang and conclude investigations for prosecution,” the statement added.

During a search of the hideout, officers recovered one battle axe, one UTC knife, two other knives, one hammer, substances suspected to be Indian hemp, suspected criminal charms and other exhibits.

Reacting to the operation, CP Tijani Fatai, the commissioner of police, warned cultists and other criminal elements to abandon their activities or face the full weight of the law.

“There is no hiding place for cultists in Lagos, as the Command remains resolute in identifying, arresting, and prosecuting every individual involved in cult-related violence and other criminal acts,” the police commissioner said.

He assured residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-driven operations across the state to curb cultism and other violent crimes, while urging members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies, with a guarantee that all reports would be treated confidentially.