The Oyo State Police Command has arrested 11 suspected members of the Eiye confraternity during a raid in Ogbomoso, recovering firearms and other dangerous weapons in what authorities described as a major breakthrough in the fight against cultism.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed the development while parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Ibadan.
According to Ayanlade, the operation followed credible intelligence indicating that members of the suspected cult group were gathering for one of their routine meetings in Ogbomoso.
He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Abimbola, directed the Command’s Response Unit to immediately mobilise to the location, leading to the arrest of the suspects before the meeting could take place.
Items recovered from the suspects include four locally fabricated pistols, axes, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons believed to have been intended for criminal activities.
“Acting on credible intelligence, our operatives arrested 11 suspected Eiye cult members in Ogbomoso. Items recovered include firearms and other weapons. Investigation is ongoing,” Ayanlade said.
One of the suspects, who claimed to be the leader of the group, told journalists that he was initiated into the cult in 2018 by a friend he described as a “street brother.”
The suspect, who identified himself as a 400-level student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), denied involvement in any killing and appealed to his parents for forgiveness.
The police spokesperson said investigations were ongoing and assured that the suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to sustaining the ongoing crackdown on cult-related activities across Oyo State, stressing that the operation forms part of broader efforts to protect lives and property and maintain public order.