Police arrest two suspected cultists in Lagos, recover weapons

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two suspected cultists with weapons. Operatives attached to the Ijanikin Division of the Lagos State Police Command arrested the suspects at Oto Awori, Ijanikin Area of Lagos State on Sunday, July 25, at about 11 am. 

 It was gathered that that two groups of cultists had gone on the rampage in the area before police stepped in and restored normalcy. 

 The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, made this known in a statement titled, Ijanikin cult clash: Police arrest two, recover weapons, restore normalcy’. 

 The statement read, “The police operatives attached to Ijanikin Division of the Lagos State Police Command On 25th July 2021, at about 11 am, arrested two suspected cultists at Oto Awori, Ijanikin Area of Lagos State.

 “The Police operatives raced to the scene and arrested the two suspects while responding to a distress call from good samaritans that two groups of cultists were on rampage and attacking one another with dangerous weapons along Oto Awori Ijanikin Expressway by Ile Oba Bus Stop. “Due to the swift response of the police, normalcy was immediately restored to the area and no life was lost in the clash.

 “The suspected cultists arrested are Israel, male; and Afeez, male; Items recovered from them include one axe, some cutlasses, assorted charms and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.” In the statement, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, ordered that “the suspects be transferred to the Command’s Strike Team, Ikeja, for proper investigation and possible arrest of other members of the gangs”.

 He further directed the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ijanikin Division to step up his anti-crime strategies in curbing crimes and criminality, especially cultism, in his area of responsibility. Odumosu also directed “tactical Commanders and other special squads in the Command to immediately embark on constant raid of black spots and criminal hideouts in the area as it is applicable to other parts of Lagos State, in compliance with the command’s zero tolerance for crimes and criminality, particularly cultism”. 

 He warned the “cultists, miscreants and those who have plans of causing unrest and engaging themselves in criminal acts in the state to steer clear of Lagos State as the command and other security agencies will not relent in their spirited efforts to sustain and improve on the present security and peace being enjoyed by residents of Lagos State”.