Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Police in Ogun state, on Wednesday, paraded 25 suspected members of a cult group during an initiation ceremony in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Parading the suspects before journalists at the command’s headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, Commissioner of Police in Ogun state, Edward Awolowo Ajogun, disclosed that the suspects were arrested alongside three herbalists who conducted the initiation.
Apart from the cultists, 34 other suspects were paraded for crimes such as rape, kidnapping, murder, armed robbery and fraud.
Ajogun explained that the cultists were arrested following intelligence report that some cult members were planning to unleash mayhem on members of the public after conducting an initiation rite for new members in Ita-Oshin area of Abeokuta.
He disclosed that the police recovered battle axes, cutlasses, weed, suspected to be Indian hemp and regalia of their group.
The police boss also paraded three murder suspects; Ugo Obi, Chinozo Jude and Chibuike Samson for allegedly beating a 23-year-old man, Samuel Ajibade to death over alleged phone theft.
According to the CP, the trio pounced on the victim and beat him to death for allegedly stealing two mobile phones belonging to one of them.
The police also paraded one Tunde Bello, a taxi driver who allegedly abducted and raped a 29-year-old lady.
Ajogun said the suspect abducted the victim while on her way to work in September, 2020 and collected N140,000 before she was released.
Meanwhile, a suspected fraudster, Daudu James, who according to the commissioner specialised in swapping ATM cards of unsuspecting victims and siphoning money from their accounts, was paraded before newsmen.
“The suspect had succeeded in swapping ATM cards of two persons and siphoned the sum of N40,000 and N55,000 from the victims.
“He however ran out of luck when one of his victims sighted him in another bank trying to swap another person’s ATM card. The victim raised alarm and he was promptly arrested”, Ajogun said.
The police boss disclosed that the suspect was arrested with 17 different ATM cards.
The Commissioner, however, warned criminals to relocate from the state, saying the police would continue to ensure that no part of the state is conducive for criminals.
