The police command in Oyo State, on Monday, paraded 15 suspected cultists and armed robbers, recovering dangerous weapons and two cars.

The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Ayodele Sonubi, paraded the suspects at the command’s headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.

Mr Sonubi said other offences committed by the suspects ranged from unlawful possession of firearms and hard drugs.

He listed exhibits recovered from the suspects to include five inscribed cultism jackets, three dane guns, one locally made gun, one long barrel gun, three cutlasses, and one red cloth.

Mr Sonubi said the command had received disturbing reports of cult-related activities in some parts of the metropolis, particularly Apete, Abayomi (Iwo-Road axis), Ijokodo, Moniya, Monatan, Ojoo, Samonda and Sango.

“As we all know, cultism poses a significant threat to public safety, hence the Oyo State Police Command’s strategic interventions to counteract and diffuse the sinister trend through intelligence gathering,” he said.

According to him, regular intelligence-led raids will prevent the spread of further bloodletting in the state.

“Ongoing investigations have revealed that these experiences of cult-related violence are retaliatory-driven, embedded with components of the quest for absolute dominance by these sinister cult groups against their rivals,” he said.

He said the anti-robbery section of the Criminal Intelligence Department on Friday embarked on a sting operation at Kajorepo/Ojoo area, arresting three suspected members of the “Eiye” confraternity.

Mr Sonubi said the alleged leader of the confraternity in the axis had participated in several operations of the group where lives were lost.

“He was apprehended at his residence where one red cloth, a blue beret with “Eiye” confraternity logo, and one cutlass were recovered,” he said.

The CP further said the command, on Saturday, at about 12.22 p.m. around Ijokodo area, carried out a raid, based on credible information, arresting three suspected cultists.

He said one dane gun and a locally made pistol were allegedly recovered from the ceiling of the suspects’ room.

Mr Sonubi urged parents and leaders to prevail on their children and followers against cultism and its ominous vices.

He warned that the command would not relent in ensuring that any individual or group distorting the peace of the state faced the full wrath of the law.

Speaking to journalists, one of the suspects, who confirmed he was a cultist, said he had, however, renounced the act since 2020.

The suspect, nevertheless, confirmed he was one of those who participated in initiating one of the arrested cult members in 2018.

(NAN)