Joy Anyim
To curb the menace of cultism in the state, the Lagos State Police Command, on Monday, launched a special operation tagged ‘Operation CRUSH’.
Flagging off the operation, in Ikorodu, the Commissioner of Police Zubairu Muazu said the operation was part of the measures put in place to reclaim the destiny of youths who have chosen the path of crime by engaging in various cult activities.
CP Muazu said the command has also initiated other approaches to tackle cultism and other violent crimes in state.
According to him, “This special operation is aimed at ending cultism and gangsterism in Lagos State and it will be directly under my command.
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“Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers will personally lead the various operations in their areas of jurisdiction.
“We are taking the fight to their door steps, we are all out for them. We will fish them out, isolate them and bring them to justice.
“We are battle ready to uproot every cultists den and hideouts until they are totally defeated.
“Cultism is evil and it is a crime against the collective will of the people. When cultism thrives, surely other heinous crimes like murder, rape, robbery, kidnapping will thrive too.
“Defeating cultism will therefore mean defeating all heinous crimes in the state, as virtually every major crime recorded in the state have a link to cultism.”
Speaking on the other approaches the command will be adopting to tackle the menace of cultism in the state, CP Muazu said, “Tackling cultism requires a holistic approach. We have observed the activities of those cult groups and gangs for the last one month and credible intelligence was gathered.
“We have reviewed our strategies and have initiated far reaching approach to totally eradicate this menace.
“We have rejigged our Anti-Cultism Unit to effectively combat those miscreants who have chosen the wrong path of life. We intend to adopt community policing approach.
We will soon embark on sensitisation programs in collaboration with police community relations committee and other stakeholders in schools, neighborhoods and media.
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“We will equally establish Police-Students-Relations-Committee, comprising all the students union presidents and other students leaders.
“We will organise town hall meetings in areas mostly affected by cult activities. The meetings will discuss extensively, the root causes of cultism and gangsterism in the affected areas and the possible solutions.”
CP Muazu, however, called on cultists to either embrace peace and denounce their membership from the group or face the full weight of the law.
“Let me therefore, use this medium to sound a warning to members of those gangs and cult groups either renounce membership of such cults and gangs or be prepared to face the full weight of the law. This is a promise.
“To parents and guardians of those youths, my message is simple, monitor the activities and movements of your children and wards and make sure that their mission on the public space are legitimate otherwise, they should stay clear.
“Let me call on everyone, both old and young, rich and poor to join us in this noble fight.
“We must cleanse our communities of those few criminal elements who have threatened our social and economic well-being. Together we can subdue them,” he stated.
