Eight suspected members of two rival cults have been arrested by officers of the Nigerian Police in Ifo area of Ogun State, over supremacy battle resulting in the death of one of them.
This was contained in a Press statement issued by the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi who identified Soji Olamilekan ‘m’ 29yrs, Shobande Olalekan ‘m’ 26yrs, Solomon Fadebi ‘m’ 33yrs, Balogun Oluwaseun ‘m’ 22yrs and Joseph Onwe ‘m’ 24yrs as part of those arrested.
Nigerian Newstrack gathered that others include Peter Rapheal ‘m’ 22yrs, Yusuf Emmanuel ‘m’ 26yrs and 22yr old Toheeb Olorunkemi ‘m’.
According to the statement, the supremacy battle involving members of Eiye and Aiye cult groups left one of them simply identified as "Ofada" dead, as he was allegedly shot during the clash.
The Police PRO explained that a distress call was made to the Police in Ifo division headquarters during the crisis while the, Divisional Police Officer, DPO; CSP Adekunle Adeniyi led his men to the scene, where they met two others with gun-shot injuries.
He said the DPO and his men subsequently moved and traced the rampaging cultists to Iyana Coker area, where three of them namely: Soji Olamilekan, Shobande Olalekan and Solomon Fadebi were arrested.
DSP Oyeyemi said on interrogation, the three cultists arrested informed the Police that other members of their group ran to Osuke area of Onipanu, Ota where they were planning to launch another attack.
"Based on the information, the DPO Onipanu Division quickly moved to Osuke area, where he met a group of cultists holding a meeting in the bush. On sighting the policemen, the hoodlums took to their heels but they were hotly chased and with the assistance of the youths in the area, four among the cultists namely, Balogun Oluwaseun, Joseph Onwe, Peter Rapheal and Yusuf Emmanuel were apprehended."
"While investigation was going on, information got to the Police that one of the cultists was seen receiving treatment for gun-shot injury in Arobiye village Ota, the Onipanu DPO swiftly moved in there and got the suspect, Toheeb Olorunkemi, who confessed participating in the crisis at Ifo, where he received gun-shot injury".
DSP Oyeyemi stated that, the items recovered from the arrested suspects, include one locally made pistol, six live cartridges, four different types of handset, one black beret and a small bag.
He told Nigerian Newstrack that the corpse of the slain cultist has been recovered and taken to the General Hospital Mortuary, while the injured ones have been taken to the same General Hospital for medical care.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Ajogun has ordered the transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.
He also directed a serious manhunt for the remaining members of the groups in order to put their notorious activities to permanent end.
