LAUTECH students nabbed over alleged cultism

Eleven students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, have been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command over alleged cultism, with firearms, ammunition and other dangerous weapons recovered from them.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, the arrests followed credible intelligence received by the command.

The police said the suspects were apprehended after operatives foiled a planned attack allegedly being coordinated by members of the Eiye Confraternity.

Ayanlade identified the suspects as “Adedapo Victor (24) – alleged leader of the group; Taiwo Rasheed (22) – alleged second-in-command; Emeka Issac (20); Akande Segundo (26); Akande Julius (26); Stephen Opeyemi (24); Fortune Abel (22); Oluwatunmise Ayodeji (22); Adigun Oladimeji (32); Akande Moses (28); and Karim Kalid (20).”

He explained that a thorough search of the suspects and their hideout led to the recovery of several incriminating exhibits believed to have been intended for use in violent activities.

Ayanlade said, “Exhibits recovered include four locally fabricated cut-to-size pistols; eleven live cartridges; one expended cartridge; two cult axes; one cutlass; one dagger knife; and one red cult hooded cap.

“Acting on credible intelligence received by the command, operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit were deployed after it was established that members of the dreaded Eiye Confraternity had converged at their hideout within the Under-G, Yuako, and Adenike areas, where they were allegedly perfecting plans to launch coordinated attacks within the student community capable of causing widespread unrest.

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