The Lagos State Police Command has arrested suspected cultists and kidnappers allegedly responsible for chaos in the state.
The police also said they had apprehended five suspected kidnappers who allegedly extorted money from their victims.
The state Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, while parading over a score of suspected criminals at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Wednesday, disclosed that the command also recovered several arms and ammunition from the culprits.
The CP stated, “This is a case that deals with kidnapping, which happened on February 20, 2024, where three men, one in military uniform, accosted a young man and subsequently abducted him in a Honda Salon car and demanded ransom.
“The victim then transferred the sum of four hundred thousand naira to his abductors before he was released to another group who took him away in their Toyota Camry car, obtained him of his diamond earrings, gold earrings, Cartier wristwatch, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, and then demanded a ransom of N6.4m
“Upon reporting the case, luckily, the victim was able to identify a young lady whom he saw pointing at him before the incident.
“The suspects include Zara Onyesom, aged 28; Abayomi Olalere Ishola, aged 28; Chima Collins, aged 29; Oluwasheun Illre, aged 40; and Ayodabo Muyideen, aged 38. The case has been charged to court.”
The command paraded 64 suspects for various crimes ranging from cultism and armed robbery to unlawful possession of firearms and illicit drugs.
Some of the items recovered include 20 firearms, 120 pieces of toy ammunition, 28 pieces of live ammunition, 15 live cartridges, three expended cartridges, four vehicles, seven Point of Sale machines, cutlasses, illicit drugs, and various charms.
The CP further said, “On March 5, 2024, at about 02:04 hours, operatives of the Lagos State Command, upon credible intelligence gathered concerning the activities of some hoodlums, swung into action and arrested one Jovi Anu, ‘m’, aged 27; Endurance Ifoma, ‘m’, aged 30; Bolaji Olaojoyegbe, ‘m’, aged 25, and Richard Akinde ‘m’, aged 27, in connection with cult-related activities. One locally made single-barrel pistol with five live cartridges was recovered from them.”
He also noted that the command arrested a group of suspected cultists harassing the Ijanikin and Badagry areas of the state.
“Based on credible intelligence on the activities of some group of boys suspected to be members of a confraternity terrorising the Ijanikin/Badagary area of Lagos State, police operatives of the command were dispatched to the area.
“One Segun Sunday, ‘m’, aged 25; Adeyemi Oyero, ‘m’, aged 28; Siliki Akeem, ‘m’, aged 26; Emeka Collins, ‘m’, aged 36; Lukmon Okedeyi, ‘m’, aged 26; Oyebola Mustapha, ‘m’, aged 26; Akinola Omisesan, ‘m’, aged 34, and Abass Hassan, ‘m’, aged 35 were apprehended,” Fayoade said.