Lagos police foil alleged cult initiation, arrest four suspects
Lagos Police Foil Alleged Cult Initiation, Arrest Four Suspects
LAGOS — The Lagos State Police Command has thwarted an alleged cult initiation ceremony in the Egbeda area and apprehended four suspects. The operation occurred at midnight and resulted in the recovery of firearms and other dangerous weapons.
A statement issued Thursday by Police Public Relations Officer SP Abimbola Adebisi indicated that the suspects are believed to be involved in cult-related violence and other criminal activities within Alimosho and neighboring communities.
The suspects have been identified as Nurudeen Ganiu, 34; Oluwaleke Fagbula, 38; Emmanuel Silas, 41; and Nurudeen Abdullahi, 41.
According to the statement, police acted on credible intelligence regarding the initiation ceremony and launched a covert operation, leading to the arrests. During the raid, officers confiscated one locally made cut-to-size pistol, an English Beretta pistol loaded with ten cartridges, and a jackknife.
Investigations revealed that one of the suspects is alleged to be a gang leader and had been expelled from a university in Ogun State in 2022 over cult-related activities. The police believe the group has been involved in thuggery and has terrorized residents for an extended period.
“The suspects reportedly confessed to being active members of the Eiye Confraternity, a notorious secret cult group,” the statement noted. It also detailed how the gang allegedly utilized motorcycles to carry out attacks on unsuspecting residents and disrupt community gatherings at gunpoint.
Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai commended the operatives for their professionalism and quick response during the operation. He assured the public of the command’s commitment to combating cultism and other violent crimes in the state.
Fatai also encouraged residents to remain vigilant and to continue providing timely and reliable information to security agencies through the command’s emergency contact lines.
