Four Suspected Cultists Nabbed as Police Disrupt Midnight Initiation in Egbeda
The Lagos State Police Command has foiled an alleged cult initiation ceremony in the Egbeda area of the state and arrested four suspected cult members during a covert midnight operation.
The operation also led to the recovery of firearms, live ammunition and other dangerous weapons believed to have been used in criminal activities.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed in a statement on Thursday that the suspects were allegedly linked to cult-related violence and other criminal activities in Alimosho and surrounding communities.
The suspects were identified as Nurudeen Ganiu, 34; Oluwaleke Fagbula, 38; Emmanuel Silas, 41; and Nurudeen Abdullahi, 41.
According to the police, the arrests followed credible intelligence about a planned midnight cult initiation ceremony in Egbeda. Acting on the information, operatives launched a covert operation that resulted in the successful apprehension of the suspects.
Items recovered during the raid included a locally fabricated cut-to-size pistol, an English Beretta pistol loaded with 10 live cartridges, and a jackknife.
Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the suspects is an alleged cult gang leader and a former student of a university in Ogun State who was reportedly expelled in 2022 over cult-related activities.
Further investigations indicated that the group had allegedly been involved in acts of thuggery and terrorising residents of Egbeda and neighbouring communities.
Police said the suspects reportedly confessed to being members of the Eiye Confraternity, a notorious secret cult group. The gang was also alleged to have used motorcycles to carry out attacks on unsuspecting residents and disrupt social gatherings at gunpoint.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, commended the operatives for their professionalism and swift response, which led to the successful operation.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to combating cultism and other violent crimes across the state and urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information.
