At least five individuals believed to be members of the Aiye and Alora Confraternities were apprehended in raids carried out by the Ogun State Police Command and the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation, and Safety Corps in the Sagamu and Sango-Ota areas.
According to reports, the arrested individuals had intentions of instigating terror among the residents of the communities before they were apprehended on Friday and Saturday.
Residents of the Ntanbo Ijoko area reportedly experienced heightened anxiety after receiving intelligence that the community might face an attack by suspected cultists on Saturday.
Acting on the information provided by some community members, it was reported that the police in the division and members of the Communities, Social Orientation, and Safety Corps initiated patrols in the area.
In the course of the joint patrol conducted by the security agencies, it was revealed that a suspect named Richard Edet, residing in the Shasha area of Lagos State, was arrested, while others managed to escape into the bush.
Moreover, the local police division had previously received comparable intelligence indicating that clandestine confraternity members were planning to convene a meeting at an undisclosed location in the area on Friday.
Acting on this information, the police division initiated comprehensive combing and patrolling operations in the suspected areas, resulting in the arrest of four individuals suspected to be members of the Aiye Confraternity.
According to reports, Ahmed Oguntoyinbo, Sikiru Komolafe, and Abiola Alashebi, believed to be residents of Ifo Local Government, were all apprehended in Sagamu on Friday.
Reports state that the four suspects admitted to the allegations and would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department once the preliminary investigation is completed.
Similarly, in the Sakura area of Sagamu, a suspected cultist named Olatunji Azeez, 25 years old, was arrested by the police division during a raid led by Ojo Agunloye on Friday.
The police reported that Azeez had recently relocated from Ijebu-Ode to Sagamu, confessed to being a member of the Alora Confraternity, and would be transferred to the anti-tactical team for a discreet investigation.
Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the multiple raids and the arrest to our correspondent on Sunday, noted that all the suspects would be prosecuted after the investigation.
“We will continue to carry out routine raids to ensure that all the communities in Ogun State are safe. The police, under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, will not allow any community in the state to be a safe haven for cultists,” she added via WhatsApp message.