JUST IN: Lagos police arrest five suspected cultists, recover weapons, 500 SIM cards, laptops

Crime Diary

LAGOS, Nigeria (NPA) — Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested five suspected members of the Aye Confraternity during an intelligence-led operation, recovering weapons, military camouflage, suspected hard drugs, 500 SIM cards, laptops and other incriminating items.

The Command said the suspects were arrested during a routine stop-and-search operation along the Ago/Festac Bridge axis of Lagos.

According to a statement on Tuesday by the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, operatives initially intercepted a Toyota Camry XLE saloon car occupied by Emmanuel John, 24, and David Godwin, 28.

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A search of the vehicle and its occupants led to the recovery of substances suspected to be hard drugs.

The Police said the two suspects confessed during preliminary interrogation to being members of the Aye Confraternity.

Further investigations led to the arrest of three additional suspects identified as Samuel Owubokiri, 25, Adetona Seyi, 20, and David Chigozie, 25.

The Command said all three also admitted to being members of the same cult group.

Items recovered from the suspects include military camouflage, two machetes, one battle axe, one knife, 500 SIM cards, five mobile phones, five laptops, charms and various substances suspected to be hard drugs.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain its crackdown on cultism and other violent crimes across the state.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to the Police to support crime prevention and enhance public safety.

The Command said investigations are ongoing to determine the suspects’ involvement in other criminal activities and to identify additional members of the suspected cult network before they are charged to court.