The Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, has arrested three suspected cultists allegedly operating across Lagos and Ogun states.
The command also recovered a locally fabricated double-barrel, cut-to-size pistol from one of the suspects.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Gbenga Afolayan, disclosed this in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday.
Afolayan said the arrests followed credible information from a member of the public about the activities of suspected cultists in Ikorodu, Lagos, and its environs.
He said detectives attached to the command’s Quick Intervention Squad commenced surveillance on the suspects before launching a coordinated operation on Sept. 3.
According to him, the operation led to the arrest of a 33-year-old suspect in Ifo, Ogun State, whose arrest subsequently facilitated the apprehension of two other suspects in Ikorodu.
Afolayan said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect arrested in Ifo served as a link between the two others.
He added that during interrogation, the suspect from whom the pistol was recovered claimed that the firearm had been given to him by a friend who was currently at large.
The spokesperson said the suspect also confessed to being a member of the Eiye confraternity alongside the other two suspects.
He said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the alleged criminal network.
Afolayan added that the suspects would be prosecuted after the conclusion of investigations.
He quoted the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, as commending the operatives for their diligence and the successful recovery of the firearm.
Jimoh stressed that removing firearms from the hands of criminal elements was critical to maintaining public safety.
The AIG also directed the operatives to intensify efforts to track down other members of the alleged network.
The command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring that criminal elements had no safe haven in Lagos and Ogun states.
It urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station or through official complaint channels.