Police arrest eight suspected cult members, recover firearms in Kwara
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested eight suspected cult members and recovered firearms and other dangerous weapons during coordinated operations across the Ilorin metropolis, as part of efforts to curb cult-related activities and violent crime in the state.
The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, who said the operation was carried out through a joint effort involving the Anti-Cultism Unit and other tactical teams.
According to the statement, the operation followed credible intelligence on the activities of suspected cultists and led officers to a hideout in the Akuo and Fagba areas of Ilorin, where the suspects were apprehended during a targeted raid.
Those arrested were identified as Ismail Sodiq, 35; Ibrahim Saheed, 26; Feyikemi Odoje, 28; Ishola Faisat, 23; Abubakar Zainab, 22; Azeez Olarenwaju, 27; Soliu Ibrahim, 22; and Abdulbasit Abdulkadir, 24. The suspects comprise five males and three females.
Police said a cache of weapons and other incriminating items was recovered during the operation. The exhibits included two locally made pistols, one pump-action shotgun, two cut-to-size shotguns, 25 expended cartridges and other weapons believed to be capable of facilitating violent crimes.
The command said the arrests and recoveries demonstrate its determination to prevent criminal elements from operating within the state and to sustain efforts aimed at eliminating cultism and other forms of violent criminality.
It added that investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of each suspect’s involvement, uncover additional members of the alleged criminal network and apprehend other accomplices who may have escaped arrest during the operation.
Reacting, the Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, CP Adekimi Ojo, attributed the success of the operation to the intelligence-led policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu. He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling cultism and other violent crimes through proactive policing and collaboration with members of the public.
