No fewer that 11 suspects have been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command over alleged involvement in cultism and other violent crimes.
The suspects alleged to be members of the dreaded Eiye Confraternity and students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) were apprehended while plotting coordinated attacks on the the students community.
This was made known in a statement issued on Friday by the Oyo Police Command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka.
According to the statement, intelligence report received by the command revealed that suspected cultists converged at their hideout within the Under-G, Yuako, and Adenike areas of the school environment where they were planning the foiled attack.
“This development followed credible intelligence received by the Command. Acting on credible intelligence received by the Command, operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) were deployed after it was established that members of the dreaded Eiye Confraternity had converged at their hideout within the Under-G, Yuako, and Adenike areas, where they were allegedly perfecting plans to launch coordinated attacks within the student community capable of causing widespread unrest.
“On arrival at the identified locations, the operatives swiftly intervened and successfully foiled the planned attacks before they could be executed, leading to the arrest of eleven male suspects.
“Following their arrest, the suspects were taken into custody where they voluntarily confessed to being members of the dreaded Eiye Confraternity, while preliminary investigation further revealed their alleged involvement in various cult-related criminal activities, including murder.
“Further investigation established that all eleven suspects are students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso.” The statement partly read.
The suspects, as identified by Ayanlade, include Adedapo Victor (24) – alleged leader of the group; Taiwo Rasheed (22) – alleged second-in-command; Emeka Issac (20); Akande Segundo (26); Akande Julius (26); Stephen Opeyemi (24); and Fortune Abel (22).
Others include Oluwatunmise Ayodeji (22); Adigun Oladimeji (32); Akande Moses (28); and Karim Kalid (20).
Subsequently, a thorough search conducted on the suspects and their hideout led to the recovery of several incriminating exhibits, believed to have been intended for use in violent activities.
The recovered exhibits include: four locally fabricated cut-to-size pistols, eleven live cartridges, one expended cartridge, two cult axes, one cutlass, one dagger knife, and onne red cult hooded cap.
In response to this development, the Oyo Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, commended the professionalism, vigilance, and prompt action of the operatives whose swift response prevented what could have escalated into violent attacks within the student community.
He further assured that the Command remains committed to ensuring that all individuals connected to the criminal network are brought to justice, as efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.
The Command reiterated that all suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, while urging members of the public to continue supporting the Police with timely and credible information that will aid the fight against cultism and other violent crimes.