By Christopher Oji and Joy Okpoko
It was a harvest of arrests yesterday, as Lagos State Police Command paraded 80 suspects, among who were four suspected Badoo cult members that allegedly murdered two pastors in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
Also paraded were drug dealers from who the police allegedly recovered cocaine with a street value of N270 million.
Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, who paraded the suspects said: “Four suspected Badoo members were arrested for murder. Also, 29 suspected armed robbers, 12 notorious cultists, and three suspected kidnappers were arrested within two weeks. Forty arms and assorted ammunition were recovered from the hoodlums.
“You recall that President Muhammadu Buhari, during his last visit to Kano State, gave a directive that security agencies should crack down on illicit drug dealers. In view of this directive, the command mobilised its covert operatives to sniff out those who bring these illicit drugs into the country. Our efforts paid off on December 8, based on credible intelligence gathered, that 1 x 20 feet container had some baggage of powdery substance suspected to be hard drugs.
“ A letter with number CR:3000/LS/VolT was sent to the Forensic Science laboratory centre of Force CIID, Alagbon requesting for a laboratory analysis of the substance. Preliminary test of the substance confirmed the substance to be Bebzoylecgonnine (Cocaine). HPLC analysis confirmed the substance to be cocaine with street value of N270million .
“We would collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and other relevant security organisations to track those who bring illicit drugs to the country.
“I am also happy to announce to you that four Badoo cult members are in the command’s net. Based on report from Mr. Oluwaseun Johnson Alaba that his wife, Beatrice Alaba and his son, David, were brutally murdered, while his daughter, Rachael, was grievously injured on the head in the night of November 21, I visited the scene of crime at Temu Village, Agbowa, Ikorodu. I was at the place, in company of officer in charge of SARS, to conduct scene investigation. We discovered that the assailants used concrete grinding stone to smash the skulls of the deceased persons.
“During investigation, Abdulrasaq and Tenimu were arrested in connection with the crime. The Nokia phone and sim card of the deceased, which was stolen from the scene were recovered from the suspects. In my dictionary, there is nothing like Badoo; we see them as ritualists and we will charge them for murder.
“Two other Badoo members, who murdered a Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Victor, in Ikorodu are also in my detention. The pastor was murdered at about 1am by four armed men who invaded his house and killed him in cold blood. Two of the hoodlums have been arrested. The phone and sim card of the deceased have been recovered from the suspects. The suspects, Igwe and Awofisibe, have confessed to the killing. Two others have been declared wanted.
“One Oriaku has been arrested for selling his two children for N190,000. He was also being interrogated for kidnapping seven-year-old Olabisi. He sold the child to an orphanage home for N120, 000.
The man named two other females as those who bought the child. We have arrested the proprietress of the orphanage home, Adaora and her accomplice, Loveth. They have confessed that they bought the child for N120, 000 and sold him for N500, 000.The child was rescued from Owerri, Imo State.”