Police nab ex-Aiye cult Chairman, three others, recover gun in Lagos

Michael Olumide Alabi

Lagos State Police Command has arrested four suspected members of the Aiye Confraternity cult group and recovered a locally made Beretta pistol and one round of 9mm live ammunition during an intelligence-led operation in Mushin.

The arrests and recovery were carried out by operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), as part of intensified efforts to disrupt cult-related activities and other violent crimes in Lagos State.

According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, SP Abimbola Adebesi, the operation followed credible intelligence received by the VCRU on the activities of suspected cult groups operating in Mushin and its environs.

Acting on the intelligence, operatives moved swiftly and arrested one Irawo Moshod, who was identified as a suspected member of the Aiye Confraternity.

The police said preliminary investigation revealed that Moshod admitted to being a former chairman of the cult group.

During interrogation, the suspect allegedly provided information about the activities and operations of the group, including disclosures concerning his alleged involvement in several killings in Mushin and other parts of Lagos State.

Following the information obtained from him, VCRU operatives proceeded to Idi-Oro, Mushin, where they recovered one locally made Beretta pistol and one round of 9mm live ammunition.

The police subsequently expanded the operation in a bid to apprehend other members of the alleged cult network.

Three other suspects identified as Abayomi James, 29; Farouq Bankole, 28; and Steven Sunday, 19, were subsequently arrested at Aganran by Ojuwoye.

The three suspects, according to the police, admitted to being members of the Aiye Confraternity.

They also allegedly disclosed during the investigation that the recovered firearm was obtained from a man identified as Rilwan, whom they described as the number one member of the group.

The four suspects are currently in police custody and are assisting investigators in efforts to unravel the activities and structure of the alleged cult network.

The Command said efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the group who may be connected to the criminal activities under investigation.

The arrests come amid renewed efforts by security agencies to tackle cultism and violent crime in Lagos, particularly in areas where rival cult activities have historically been linked to violence and criminality.

Commending the VCRU operatives for the operation, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, praised their proactive and intelligence-driven approach to tackling cult-related criminal activities.

Fatai reaffirmed the Command’s determination to dismantle criminal networks and protect residents across the state.

He warned suspected cultists and other criminal elements to desist from violent and unlawful activities, stressing that the police would continue to deploy intelligence-led strategies to identify, arrest and prosecute those involved in criminal activities.

The Commissioner also urged residents to remain vigilant and support the police by providing timely information about suspicious movements and criminal activities in their communities.

The Lagos State Police Command further encouraged members of the public to report suspicious activities through its emergency contact lines to enable the police to respond promptly.

The police assured residents that information supplied to the Command would assist ongoing efforts to make communities safer and disrupt criminal networks operating across Lagos State.

The Command said investigations into the case are continuing.