No fewer than 56 suspected cultists and armed robbers have been arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command in different parts of the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement on Sunday that 50 suspected cultists and armed robbers were arrested during raids on their hideouts in the Imota, Igbokuta, Adamo and Emure areas of Ikorodu.

Adejobi said, “The police boss in the state re-echoed the command’s readiness to tackle and decimate criminals in the state, while confirming the arrest of 50 suspected armed robbers and cultists in the Imota, Igbokuta, Adamo and Emure areas of Ikorodu during a sting operation carried out by the commissioner’s Police Strike Force between Friday and Saturday, March 5 to 6, 2021.

“The 38 male and 12 female suspects include Oladunni Abiodun, 20; Dosumu Oluwaseun, 22; Segun Adelaja, 29; Gbamila Iyabo, 26, wife of the Number 1 man of the Aiye Confraternity in Igbokuta, arrested with one pump action loaded with eight rounds of cartridges; Salisu Islamiyat, 29, wife of the Number 1 Aiye Confraternity man in Emure, arrested with a locally-made pistol with some live cartridges; Abiodun Abbey, aka, Oju Ogunle, alleged to have killed more than 22 person in the Ikorodu area; and 44 others.

“Other items recovered from them include guns, live ammunition and cartridges, assorted charms, berets with confraternity logos, paraphernalia of office of the confraternity and some weapons.”

In another development, Adejobi stated that six suspected cultists were arrested in the Ibeju-Lekki area of the state.

He stated, “The CP also confirmed the arrest of six suspected cultists in the Ibeju-Lekki area of the state by police operatives attached to the Elemoro Division. The suspects are Adeyemi Hassan; Adesoye Yusuf; Yusuf Sadiku; Isaila Adebanjo, an ex-convict and leader of the Aiye Confraternity; Monsuru Ojo and Tajudeen Ramon.

“The CP has put all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers in the state on their toes to ensure that the state is rid of cultism, crimes and criminality. He has ordered prompt investigation and prosecution of cases as necessary arrangements have been made by the Lagos State Government to consistently fast-track judicial processes in the state.”