The Osun State Police Command has arrested 12 suspected members of a notorious cult group and recovered three firearms, two vehicles, and other exhibits during a series of coordinated operations across the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that the arrests were made by operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan.
According to the statement, the arrests were part of renewed efforts to combat cultism and violent crime in the state.
Ojelabi explained that the command acted on multiple distress calls and intelligence reports linking the suspects to attacks and extortion in Iree, Iragbiji, and Osogbo communities between October 13 and 19, 2025.
“On 13th October, 2025, at about 1700 hours, some armed hoodlums suspected to be members of an unlawful society invaded Kajogbola Area, Iree, with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, demanding money from residents,” the statement read.
The suspects reportedly attacked a pharmacist, inflicting machete wounds on his head before police operatives from the Anti-Cultism Unit and Iree Division intervened, arresting five suspects at the scene.
“The suspects confessed to being members of the Eiye confraternity. Further investigation led to the arrest of four additional suspects in a hotel in Iree,” the statement added.
In a related incident, two other suspects were intercepted by vigilante members at Oja-Oba Market Square, Iragbiji, on October 14 while attempting to escape from Iree.
“Upon searching the duo, one locally made cut-to-size pistol loaded with a live cartridge and an axe were recovered. The suspects later confessed to being members of the Eiye confraternity who fled Iree following police pressure,” Ojelabi said.
Another suspect, identified as 22-year-old Kilako Ismail Damilare, popularly known as “Killer,” was also arrested on October 19 in the Oke-Baale area of Osogbo, with firearms and charms recovered from him.
Items recovered from the suspects included two Toyota Camry cars with registration numbers KJA 210 JM and GGE 961 JA, a black unregistered motorcycle, three locally made pistols with seven live cartridges, an axe, and several criminal charms.
Ojelabi confirmed that all suspects are in custody and would be charged in court upon completion of investigations.
Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, warned that the command would not tolerate any form of cultism or related criminal activity in the state.
He reaffirmed the police’s commitment to sustaining its crackdown on cultism and violent crimes, urging residents to report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station.