Police Arrest Five Suspected Cultists in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested five suspected cultists accused of terrorising residents in Apapa, Ijora and Badia areas of the state.

The Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) carried out the operation following credible intelligence, according to a statement issued on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi.

The police said one of the suspects, identified as 25-year-old Abubakar Ayomide, popularly known as “Garbazin”, was first arrested before he led operatives to the group’s hideout, where four other suspects were apprehended.

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

According to the statement, Ayomide confessed to being a member of the Aiye Confraternity and provided useful information to investigators, while efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the alleged criminal gang.

The police said a search of the hideout led to the recovery of one battle axe, one UTC knife, two other knives, one hammer, substances suspected to be Indian hemp, suspected criminal charms and other exhibits.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, CP Tijani Fatai, warned cultists and other criminal elements operating in the state to abandon their activities or face prosecution.

The police spokesperson quoted the commissioner as saying there was “no hiding place for cultists in Lagos,” adding that the Command remained committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting individuals involved in cult-related violence and other crimes.

CP Fatai also assured residents that the Command would continue to intensify intelligence-led operations across the state to tackle cultism and violent crimes.

He urged members of the public to provide timely and credible information to the police, assuring that all reports would be treated with confidentiality.