According to a report by NewsNow, the Kwara State Police Command has taken into custody 46 individuals suspected of involvement in cult-related activities in Ilorin, the state’s capital.
These arrests were made in response to what authorities have identified as troubling events linked to various cult groups operating within the region, as stated by DSP Ejire Adeyemi Toun, the spokesperson for the state police command, in a release issued on Monday in Ilorin.
During one of the violent clashes associated with cult activities, there was a reported fatality.
The spokesperson explained, “During the early hours of April 13, 2024, a tragic incident resulting in a loss of life occurred on Ile Film-Bolanta Road in Ilorin.”
“An individual, Adelodun Farouq, aged 36 and a resident of Eleran Compound, was fatally shot by suspected cult members.
“Farouq’s burial, performed in accordance with Islamic customs, took place without police notification. Initial findings suggest the involvement of one Abubakar Gobir, a presumed member of the Aye Confraternity, in the aforementioned crime.”
“Later that day, at around 8 pm, reports surfaced of further violent incidents linked to cult activities in Ile-Alawo Compound, Center Igboro. Unidentified individuals associated with cults attacked Abdullahi Alao, a 35-year-old motorcycle operator, inflicting a machete wound to his head. Alao was then taken to an undisclosed location by his sibling, prompting a search operation by law enforcement.”
“On April 14, 2024, another instance of criminal collusion involving suspected cultists was reported in multiple locations including Baboko, Ile Onimago, Adabata, and Eruda. Rowdies engaged in physical altercations using weapons such as broken glass and stones, resulting in the obstruction of Baboko Road.”
” Prompt intervention by the DPO ‘C’ Division, Isale Oja, Ilorin and six mobile units, aided by members of the community policing organization, helped in quelling the unrest.”
Providing further details, the police spokesperson stated, “During the operation, 46 suspects were apprehended and transferred to the State Police Command’s Anti-Cultist Unit for additional inquiries; among the 46 individuals detained, 14 have been linked to recent cult incidents in the Ilorin vicinity. Stability has now been reinstated in the affected regions, road blockades have been removed, and residents can resume their daily routines.”