Police seized during the operation illegally held weapons, including eight locally made guns, ammunition, eight knives, 12 handsets, two scissors, a large quantity of Indian hemp, several cutlasses, an axe and a saw.
Local journalists cited on Monday Police Commissioner, Kenneth Ebrimson, as saying that seven cult groups, identified as Ilena Boys, Federal Boys, Lemon Boys, Base Boys, Sahara Boys, Gbese Boys, and Marindoti Boys, recently caused unrest in the region when they fought for supremacy.
According to a statement by the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the arrests came in response to a “series of harassments, robberies, burglaries and cult clashes.”
Abiodun used Twitter to assure that he “immediately directed the Command and other relevant agencies to promptly move with full force against the criminals perpetrating the acts of terror,” stressing that he would not tolerate any kind of crime.
“I will not hesitate to confirm sentences, even of capital punishment, if that will deter these social misfits,” said Abiodun stressing that Ogun region has zero tolerance for criminals and that no one, “no matter whose child he or she is,” would be spared from justice if found guilty of armed robbery.
He called on all Nigerian law enforcement agencies to strengthen their “mechanisms to ensure that there’s no recurrence of the criminal acts,” especially as the state continues to fight with the COVID-19 pandemic.
