Police operatives in Lagos arrested a 27-year-old man suspected of cult membership after recovering a loaded locally made pistol from him during a routine patrol in the Ijaiye/Ojokoro area. The arrest came as part of the Lagos State Police Command's broader push to stamp out cult violence and related crimes across the state.
Officers stopped a motorcycle carrying three passengers and searched the occupants during the operation. They found a locally fabricated pistol with one live cartridge in the possession of Yusuf Lamina Adigun.
Abimbola Adebisi, the police command's public relations officer, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Saturday. According to him, Adigun admitted under preliminary questioning that he belongs to the Eiye Confraternity.
Adigun confessed that he and other cult members who managed to escape had been heading out to attack some people when police interrupted them. The statement said officers were still searching for the fleeing members and any additional weapons they might possess.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue into the matter. Authorities have not disclosed further details about the intended targets or the circumstances surrounding the planned attack.
Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai used the arrest to reinforce the command's commitment to intelligence-driven policing and preventive operations. He stressed that the force would maintain its aggressive stance against cult groups and criminal networks spreading across Lagos.
Fatai appealed to residents to stay alert about security threats in their communities. He urged them to share useful information with police that could help prevent crimes and protect lives and property.
"The Command remains resolute in its determination to sustain aggressive operations against cultism and other violent crimes," the statement noted. "Members of the public are encouraged to continue cooperating with the police by providing credible information that will aid crime prevention and ensure the security of lives and property."
The arrest reflects growing police efforts to dismantle cult operations in Lagos, where gang-related violence has persisted despite enforcement crackdowns. Authorities have ramped up stop-and-search operations in high-risk areas to intercept suspected cultists and recover illegal weapons.
Cult-related killings and attacks have claimed numerous lives across Lagos in recent years, prompting the police command to deploy more officers to vulnerable neighbourhoods. The recovery of firearms during such operations has become a key focus as police seek to reduce access to weapons among gang members.
