Police command in Kwara, in collaboration with members of the National Forest Guard, has arrested 13 suspected cultists, thugs and drug peddlers during a coordinated raid carried out at Tanke Junction in Ilorin, the state capital.

In a statement on Saturday, the command’s spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the operation followed credible intelligence on the activities of hoodlums operating under the guise of commercial motorcyclists. 

She said, “The suspects were involved in cult-related activities, street violence, illicit drug trafficking and other criminal acts capable of disrupting public peace and safety within the area, which has over time gained notoriety as a criminal flashpoint within the Ilorin metropolis.”

Ms Ejire-Adeyemi added that twenty-four (24) motorcycles were recovered during the operation out of which five (5) were unregistered. 

“Various suspected illicit substances reasonably believed to be cannabis sativa, “ice” (crystal methamphetamine), colorado, tramadol and other hard drugs were also recovered from the suspects,” she stated.

According to the police, preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects used the location as a gathering point for drug peddling, recruitment of youths into unlawful societies, intimidation of residents and planning of criminal activities within Ilorin and its environs.

Ms Ejire-Adeyemi said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing accomplices and dismantle the criminal network, noting the suspects currently in custody would be charged to court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.