The Osun State Police Command has arrested several individuals linked to armed robbery, cult-related violence, firearm possession, and an attempted ritual killing across different locations in the state.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, disclosed in a statement on Monday that the arrests were made between July 26 and July 30 during targeted operations by various police units.
According to him, one of the operations took place on July 26 around 3:30 p.m. along the Oke-Baale Expressway in Osogbo, where officers of the Anti-Cultism Unit apprehended 26-year-old Quadri Akanji. The suspect allegedly robbed a man of his iPhone 11 while riding a motorcycle.
“The stolen phone and the motorcycle used in the robbery were immediately recovered,” Ojelabi said, adding that Akanji confessed to travelling from Ibadan to carry out robberies in Osogbo.
On July 30, police arrested two suspected cult members, 22-year-old Michael Temiloluwa and 22-year-old Odunayo Joshua, at the Osun State Polytechnic junction in Iree.
“The suspects admitted to being members of the Eiye confraternity operating within the polytechnic community,” the spokesperson revealed.
In another incident, operatives on patrol intercepted a 25-year-old man, Asimi Waliu, along the Sekona–Gbongan Road, Ede, on July 27.
He was reportedly riding an unregistered Bajaj motorcycle when officers found a locally made pistol, live cartridges, and a jackknife in his possession. A follow-up search led to the arrest of one Olabisi Tunde in Ifon, where police recovered a single-barrel gun and more ammunition.
The statement also detailed the arrest of two other suspects, 25-year-old Olaniyi Quadri and 48-year-old Garba Ibrahim, who allegedly stole a Max motorcycle from a mosque.
“The motorcycle has been recovered as an exhibit, and the suspects have admitted to the theft,” Ojelabi said.
Perhaps the most disturbing case involved an alleged attempted ritual killing on July 26 in Ikire. Three young men reportedly lured a 16-year-old boy, Faruq Abudu, into a bush, where they inflicted severe injuries to his abdomen in an attempt to harvest his organs.
“The victim was rescued and rushed to a hospital before being referred to the University College Hospital for further treatment,” the police spokesperson confirmed.
Eight suspects, including 22-year-old Ismail Abiodun and 22-year-old Usman Ademola, were apprehended in connection with the incident.
“All the suspects remain in custody, and they will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations,” Ojelabi assured.