The Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 command headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, has detained three suspected cultists operating across Lagos and Ogun.

It also recovered a locally fabricated double-barrel cut-to-size pistol from one of the suspects.

The command spokesperson, Gbenga Afolayan, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Mr Afolayan said the arrests followed credible information from a member of the public about activities of suspected cultists in Ikorodu, Lagos, and its environs.

He said detectives attached to the command’s Quick Intervention Squad began surveillance on the suspects and launched a coordinated operation on September 3.

According to him, the operation led to the arrest of a 33-year-old suspect at Ifo, Ogun.

He said the arrest facilitated the arrest of two other suspects at Ikorodu.

He also said that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect arrested at Ifo served as the link between the two other suspects.

The spokesperson said that during interrogation, the suspect from whom the pistol was recovered claimed that the pistol was given to him by a friend at large.

He added that the suspect confessed to being a member of the Eiye confraternity alongside the other two suspects.

According to him, efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the alleged criminal network.

The spokesperson said the suspects would be prosecuted after investigations conclude.

He said the assistant inspector-general of police in charge of the zone, Olohundare Jimoh, commended the operatives for diligence and successful recovery of the firearm.

“Jimoh, who commended the operatives for a job well done, said that removing firearms from the hands of criminal elements remained critical to maintaining public safety. The AIG charged the operatives to intensify efforts to track down other members of the alleged criminal network,” Mr Afolayan said.

The spokesperson reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring that criminal elements had no haven in Lagos and Ogun.

He urged the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station or through official complaint channels.

(NAN)