The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 11 suspected cultists in the Ajah area of the state, two of whom confessed to be children of serving policemen.
While 25-year-old Emmanuel Christopher said his father, a police inspector, was serving in the Police College, Lagos State, another suspect – 20-year-old Ali Ikhide – said his father was a sergeant who had just been transferred from Lagos to Cross River State.
The suspects were arrested while they were allegedly conducting the initiation of a new member at a party held at a beach in the Ajah area of the state.
Apart from the two, the other suspects are Jacob Obi, Sanusi Jide, Abiola Opeyemi, Innocent Okugbe, Baruwa Muyiwa, Imole Afolabi, Yusuf Akinsoya, and Aibor Idris.
Our correspondent gathered that the alleged cult members were nabbed by the Ajah Police Division at about 3pm on Wednesday, and thereafter transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad for further investigation.
According to the police, items recovered from the gang were: yellow cult caps, a banner showing the oath of allegiance to the Buccaneers cult group, charms, knives and machetes.
Christopher, a National Diploma holder from a college of technology in Lagos, said he went with his friends to a party on the beach when he was arrested as a suspected cultist.
He added that there might have been cultists on the beach, but he was innocent.
He said, “We went to the beach on one afternoon. One of my friends was about going for the National Youth Service Corps programme and we were celebrating with him. Then the police stormed the area and said some cultists were lurking in the area. That was how we were arrested with them. I do not know any of these faces. They may be cultists. I do not know them.
“My father is a police inspector. He serves in the Police College, Ikeja. He was at the command in the morning. He is very sad that I have been arrested as a cultist.”
Also, Ikhide, whose father is a police corporal in Calabar, Cross River State, said, “We were standing close to the water when we saw the policemen walk in. They dressed as if they had also come for the party. There was a yellow bus parked on the beach. We did not know the bus was brought by cultists.
“They asked me if I knew who owned the bus, I said no. Then they arrested me. My father is a police corporal. He is serving in Calabar.”
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspects, said 31 persons were arrested for cultism between November 12 and 18, with many of them being from the Lagos Island area.
The CP added that the command would ensure that criminal elements were flushed out of the state.
He said, “As a way of getting rid of criminal elements, the command has arrested seven armed robbery suspects, 31 suspected cultists and three traffic robbers. Some of them have been charged to court while others are undergoing investigation.
“We also recovered eight guns and 12 rounds of ammunition from the suspects.”
While 25-year-old Emmanuel Christopher said his father, a police inspector, was serving in the Police College, Lagos State, another suspect – 20-year-old Ali Ikhide – said his father was a sergeant who had just been transferred from Lagos to Cross River State.
The suspects were arrested while they were allegedly conducting the initiation of a new member at a party held at a beach in the Ajah area of the state.
Apart from the two, the other suspects are Jacob Obi, Sanusi Jide, Abiola Opeyemi, Innocent Okugbe, Baruwa Muyiwa, Imole Afolabi, Yusuf Akinsoya, and Aibor Idris.
Our correspondent gathered that the alleged cult members were nabbed by the Ajah Police Division at about 3pm on Wednesday, and thereafter transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad for further investigation.
According to the police, items recovered from the gang were: yellow cult caps, a banner showing the oath of allegiance to the Buccaneers cult group, charms, knives and machetes.
Christopher, a National Diploma holder from a college of technology in Lagos, said he went with his friends to a party on the beach when he was arrested as a suspected cultist.
He added that there might have been cultists on the beach, but he was innocent.
He said, “We went to the beach on one afternoon. One of my friends was about going for the National Youth Service Corps programme and we were celebrating with him. Then the police stormed the area and said some cultists were lurking in the area. That was how we were arrested with them. I do not know any of these faces. They may be cultists. I do not know them.
“My father is a police inspector. He serves in the Police College, Ikeja. He was at the command in the morning. He is very sad that I have been arrested as a cultist.”
Also, Ikhide, whose father is a police corporal in Calabar, Cross River State, said, “We were standing close to the water when we saw the policemen walk in. They dressed as if they had also come for the party. There was a yellow bus parked on the beach. We did not know the bus was brought by cultists.
“They asked me if I knew who owned the bus, I said no. Then they arrested me. My father is a police corporal. He is serving in Calabar.”
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspects, said 31 persons were arrested for cultism between November 12 and 18, with many of them being from the Lagos Island area.
The CP added that the command would ensure that criminal elements were flushed out of the state.
He said, “As a way of getting rid of criminal elements, the command has arrested seven armed robbery suspects, 31 suspected cultists and three traffic robbers. Some of them have been charged to court while others are undergoing investigation.
“We also recovered eight guns and 12 rounds of ammunition from the suspects.”
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