Police Arrest Cultists, Suspects For Snatching AK 47 Rifle From Officer

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested suspected cultists allegedly responsible for a series of killings in the state.

The police also said they arrested some suspects who snatched an AK 47 rifle from a police officer.

The state Commissioner of Police, Fayoade Adegoke, while parading over a score of suspected criminals at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Wednesday, disclosed that the command also recovered several ammunition from the culprits.

The CP said the police arrested “One Toheeb Oyekunle ‘m’, Victor Jimoh ‘m’, Samuel Okanlawon ’m’, Segun Babatunde ‘m’, Pelumi Ajuloye ‘m’, Mohammed Ibrahim ‘m’ and Bello Ahmed ‘m’ in connection with the invasion that took place at Iju Ishaga area of the state where the suspects snatched an AK47 rifle from a police officer. The suspects confessed to the crime and other criminal activities within Lagos and its environs. One cut-to-size AK47 was recovered from them.”

The CP also said, “On January 3, 2024, around 10:30 pm, wanted notorious and deadly cultists who were involved in a series of cult-related killings in Ijora Badia and its environs were traced to their hideout in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos where the duo of Christian Obadiah ‘m’ aged 30 and Opeyemi Khadiri ‘m’ aged 30 were arrested.”

The command paraded 34 suspects for various crimes ranging from cultism, murder, armed robbery to unlawful possession of firearms.

Some of the items recovered included a toy pistol, 72 live cartridges, 75 live ammunition, one expended cartridge, one pistol magazine, six axes, four daggers, five cutlasses, two vehicles, one Point of Sale machine, fake vehicle registration plates and various charms.

The CP stated that on January 11, 2024, around 9:30am, members of the command apprehended a 25-year-old man, Idowu Yunusa, after he was observed allegedly attacking and attempting to rob a bystander in Igando.

Some of the suspected robbers include Damilola Ontinride, Rilwan Adejumo, Oluwadade Oluwasegun, Babatunde Raheed, Toheeb Oyekunle, Victor Jimoh, Samuel Okanlawon, Segun Babatunde, Okeowo Tosin, Mohammed Ibrahim, Balogun Tola, Tunde Oladipupo, Rasa Ridwan, Abimbola Aro, and Lukmon Ojo, amongst others.

The CP also noted that on December 28, 2023, detectives, based on a complaint, arrested one Lukman Alabi “in connection with the diversion of 600 bags of rice. The suspects confessed to the crime, and some bags of rice were recovered and released to the owner.”

Adegoke added that 1,050 motorcycles were impounded on restricted routes during an assessment period adding that in the Golden Estate Abisoye neighbourhood, two members of a gang of youngsters who appeared to be confraternity members were arrested as they intended to exact revenge on members of a rival cult for the death of their leader.

According to the CP “all suspects are to be charged to court after investigation.”

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The parade of suspects is the first that the Lagos police have done since Adegoke assumed office as the CP in mid-November to replace Idowu Owohunwa, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police.

The new CP on Wednesday reiterated that under his watch, he would “continue to do everything operationally possible to ensure that crime and criminality are brought to the barest minimum in the state.”