The Osun State Police Command has detained six individuals suspected of being cult members accused of causing terror in Osogbo and its surrounding areas.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, announced this in a statement issued on Friday, August 29, 2025, in Osogbo.
Ojelabi explained that the arrests were part of the initiatives led by the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, to curb cult activities and other criminal behaviors in the state.
According to Ojelabi, on August 21, around 6:30 p.m., during a student union week at one of the state’s higher institutions, police apprehended two suspected cult members based on an intelligence report.
“The anti-cultism unit of the command arrested two suspected notorious cultists, with the nicknames ‘ORIFE’ and ‘AGA’, both 29-years-old.
“They confessed to be member of Aiye and Buccaneer confraternities (Alora) respectively,” he said.
He further noted that, on August 19, acting on reliable information, the command also detained several hoodlums believed to be part of a secret cult intimidating residents of Okuku Town and its environs.
“Police detectives from Anti-cultism unit of the command moved swiftly to the town where four suspects were apprehended.
“The suspects confessed to be member of Aiye confraternity,” he said.
In a related development, Ojelabi stated that the police raided the hideouts of armed hoodlums suspected to be members of the Eiye confraternity, led by an individual known as ‘Gafari’, who were terrorizing residents of Gbeja and Oke-Baale in Osogbo.
He mentioned that the suspects escaped upon spotting the security operatives.
However, he noted that one cut-to-size single barrel gun, a cut-to-size double barrel gun, five sharp cutlasses, one axe, and three live cartridges were recovered from their hideouts.
Ojelabi stated that efforts were ongoing to capture the escaped hoodlums, adding that all arrested suspects would face court proceedings upon the conclusion of the investigation.
He quoted CP Gotan urging students to prioritize their education, warning that the law would not be lenient with anyone found engaging in cultism.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
