The Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 Command, has arrested three suspected cultists allegedly operating between Lagos and Ogun states.
A locally made double-barrel cut-to-size pistol was also recovered from one of the suspects during the operation.
The command’s spokesperson, Gbenga Afolayan, disclosed this in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday.
According to Afolayan, the arrests followed information provided by a member of the public about the activities of suspected cult members around Ikorodu and its environs in Lagos.
He said detectives from the command’s Quick Intervention Squad subsequently placed the suspects under surveillance before carrying out a coordinated operation on September 3.
The operation resulted in the arrest of a 33-year-old suspect in Ifo, Ogun State, Afolayan said. Information obtained from the suspect subsequently led detectives to two other suspects in Ikorodu.
Preliminary investigations, he added, showed that the suspect arrested in Ifo allegedly served as the link between the other two suspects.
Afolayan said the firearm was recovered from one of the suspects, who claimed during interrogation that a friend currently at large had given him the weapon.
The suspect also reportedly confessed to being a member of the Eiye confraternity, alongside the two other suspects.
The police spokesperson said efforts were underway to arrest other members of the alleged criminal network.
He added that the suspects would be prosecuted after investigations were concluded.
Afolayan said the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, praised the operatives for their diligence and the recovery of the firearm.
“Jimoh, who commended the operatives for a job well done, said that removing firearms from the hands of criminal elements remained critical to maintaining public safety.
“The AIG charged the operatives to intensify efforts to track down other members of the alleged criminal network,” Afolayan said.
The command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property, insisting that criminal elements would not be allowed to operate with impunity across Lagos and Ogun.
It also called on residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious individuals or activities to the nearest police station or through offPolice bust inter-state cult network in Lagos, Ogunicial complaint channels.
