The Ogun State Police Command has foiled a suspected cult initiation exercise in the Isara, Ipara and Ode axis of the state, arresting 14 suspects and recovering firearms, ammunition, vehicles and other incriminating exhibits during a midnight operation.
The development was disclosed in a press release issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi B. Babaseyi, and made available to journalists in Abeokuta.
According to the police, the operation was carried out in the early hours of January 24, 2026, following actionable intelligence that members of the Eiye Confraternity had converged at a bush location in Ipara Remo, allegedly to initiate new members and engage in activities capable of breaching public peace.
Acting on the information, a joint team of operatives from the Anti Cultism Unit and the Special Weapons and Tactics unit, with support from officers of the Ipara and Isara divisions, launched a coordinated sweep of the area at about 1.20 a.m., leading to the arrest of 14 suspects, made up of 13 males and one female.
Those arrested were identified as Solomon Shobamiwo, also known as Solo Hot, Farooq Ogunsola, Toheeb Abolade, Balogun Williams, Ayodele Abdulkareem, Adedapo Ogunsanya, Toheeb Saka, Akpan Dara, Micheal Olakemi, Habeeb Olayinka, Dapo Adeola, Adetunji Adeyemi, Henry Kingsley and Nanso Blessing.
Items recovered during the operation included three locally made pistols, 11 live cartridges, four rounds of 9mm Beretta ammunition, criminal charms, confraternity caps, a drum suspected to be used for cult initiation, 19 mobile phones, a Samsung mini laptop and nine vehicles of various brands. Some of the vehicles were found without registration numbers, while others carried unauthorised dealer plates.
The police said the suspects are currently undergoing investigation and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the process, adding that intelligence led patrols and sweep operations have been intensified across the axis to arrest other fleeing suspects and sustain peace in the area.
Reacting, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, Ph.D., condemned unlawful assembly, breach of peace and cult related activities, warning that the command would not tolerate any act capable of threatening public safety.
He urged youths in the state to renounce cultism and criminal associations, while assuring residents, parents and other stakeholders of the command’s commitment to the protection of lives and property.
Members of the public were also encouraged to report suspicious activities through the Ogun State Police Command emergency lines, including the Gateway Shield toll free line and other designated contact numbers.
