Police Arrest 11 LAUTECH Students Over Alleged Cult Activities, Foil Planned Attacks in Ogbomoso

The Oyo State Police Command says it has arrested 11 students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, over their alleged involvement in cult-related activities, claiming the suspects were planning coordinated attacks within the university community before they were apprehended.

The Command's spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement issued on X, saying the suspects are alleged members of the Eiye Confraternity and were arrested following credible intelligence.

According to the statement, operatives of the Command's Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) were deployed after intelligence indicated that suspected members of the cult group had assembled at hideouts in the Under-G, Yuako and Adenike areas of Ogbomoso, where they were allegedly finalising plans to launch attacks capable of causing widespread unrest within the university community.

Olayinka said the operatives stormed the identified locations and foiled the alleged attacks before they could be carried out, leading to the arrest of the 11 male suspects.

He added that the suspects allegedly confessed during interrogation to being members of the Eiye Confraternity, while preliminary investigations linked them to several cult-related crimes, including murder.

The police identified the suspects as 24-year-old Adedapo Victor, alleged to be the group's leader; 22-year-old Taiwo Rasheed, alleged to be the second-in-command; 20-year-old Emeka Issac; 26-year-old Akande Segundo; 26-year-old Akande Julius; 24-year-old Stephen Opeyemi; 22-year-old Fortune Abel; 22-year-old Oluwatunmise Ayodeji; 32-year-old Adigun Oladimeji; 28-year-old Akande Moses; and 20-year-old Karim Kalid.

According to the police, preliminary investigations established that all 11 suspects are students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).

Olayinka said a search of the suspects and their hideouts led to the recovery of several weapons and other items allegedly intended for use in violent operations.

Items recovered, according to the police, include four locally fabricated cut-to-size pistols, 11 live cartridges, one expended cartridge, two cult axes, one cutlass, one dagger knife and a red cult hooded cap.

Reacting to the operation, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Abimbola Olugbenga, commended the officers involved for what he described as their professionalism and swift response, saying the operation prevented what could have degenerated into violent attacks within the student community.

Olugbenga assured residents that the Command would continue efforts to dismantle criminal networks across the state and bring all those involved in cult-related activities to justice.

The police spokesperson added that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other suspected members who allegedly escaped during the operation, while the 11 suspects will be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.