Joy Anyim
Seventeen teenagers, suspected to be cultists, have been arrested by operatives attached to the Orile Police Division of the Lagos State Police Command.
Spokesperson of the Command, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), confirmed the arrest of the suspect in a statement, on Tuesday.
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Adejobi stated that the gang had been terrorising residents of Amosun, Zion, Mosalasi and Ikale streets in Sari Iganmu area of the state, dispossessing them of their belongings with dangerous arms.
According to Adejobi, “To rid the state of cultism, hooliganism, and violent crimes, the Lagos State Police Command has intensified efforts to neutralise various groups of deadly armed hoodlums, cultists and miscreants, who are fond of causing pains and agonies to innocent residents, especially, Lagosians.
“Premised on the Lagos State Police Command’s proactive measures to curbing crimes, the Police operatives attached to Orile Division of the Command, on Monday, September 14, 2020, arrested 17 armed hoodlums.”
The spokesperson gave the identities of the arrested suspects as: Afolabi Abeeb,18, Adeniyi Fawaz, 18, Ezekiel Kehinde, 16, Babatunde Toheeb, 17, Olanrewaju Quadri, 19, Sunday Okon, 16, Muhammad Usman, 17, Ayinla Teslimi, 18, Ayantunja Daniel, 17, Prince Ogungbemi, 17.
Others were named as, Ope Semiu, 18, Abeeb Ajayi, 14, Toheeb Lamidi, 15, Isreal Iyiyemi, 14, Omokunle Tomola,16, Faruq Babatunde, 20 and Damilare Alabi, 15.
Speaking further, Adejobi said that preliminary findings by the police had revealed that the hoodlums are linked to existing cult groups in Lagos, but have various factions that ferment trouble, engage in crimes and free-for-all.
“However, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command, Hakeem Odumosu, while reaffirming his zero tolerance for cultism and other social vices, ordered the suspects to be profiled, investigated and charged to court without any delay, in order to nip their criminal potentials and tendencies in the bud.
“He further assured the general public of the zeal of the Police, under amiable leadership, and in line with the ideological perspectives, of the Inspector-General of Police, to adopt modern and effective anti-crime strategies to provide adequate security for all and sundry in the state,” he said.
