Barely 24 hours after Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State Governor gave a marching order to security agencies to stamp out the menace of deadly ritual cult gang, called “Badoo”, the Lagos State Police Command, in collaboration with other security agencies and local security volunteers yesterday arrested 87 suspected Badoo members while declaring 20 other people wanted in connection with activities of the group in Ikorodu.
The latest arrest, which was in continuation of the clamp down on the cultists, made it a total of 225 suspects arrested so far as 138 suspects were arrested last Sunday.
Lagos State Police Commissioner, CP Fatai Owoseni, disclosed that the 87 suspected Badoo members were arrested in an all-night operation on their hideouts in Owutu and Odongunyan in Ikorodu.
Those declared wanted for cult related killings include: Moshood (a.k.a Mosho); Alfa (a.k.a King of Boys); Papa; Fela; Alakoto and Chukwudi.
The police also declared 14 others wanted for kidnapping in Ikorodu. They include: Agbara; O/C; Femi (a.k.a FM); Pencil, Odidan; Jaru; Allen; Bush; Happiness; Fagbo; Junior; Nuru and Jamiu. The police therefore, called on the suspects to come out of their hideouts and report themselves to the nearest police station.
The Command equally advised members of the public with useful information on the suspects who are all residents of Ikorodu to assist the police.
It was gathered that the raid was an extensive operation on the two areas – Odongunyan and Owutu which was also necessitated by more intelligence on the membership of the dreaded cult group and their mode of operations.
Before the operations, the police in conjunction with members of the Department of State Security Service, DSS, and representatives of the Nigerian Army, Lagos Neighbourhood Security Corps and Odua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) met with herbalists and Babalawos in Ikorodu on the need to collaborate with the police to wipe out the cult group in Ikorodu. Representing Owoseni at the meeting, Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Imohimi Edgal warned the herbalists and Babalawo and local vigilantes to eschew jungle justice, stressing that the Command would not tolerate further excesses from the security stakeholders.
Edgal then solicited for more information that would help the police to speedily end the activities of the group in the area.
Also involved in the exercise were the Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), ACP Olatunji Disu; Acting Area Commander, Ikorodu and all Divisional Police Officers in Ikorodu among other senior police officers.