A team of police operatives from the Lagos State Police Command raided some criminal hideouts at Agarawu and Campos area of Lagos Island arresting over 300 suspected cultists.
The arrest came barely few hours after the joint taskforce comprising the Lagos State Police Command, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), the Department of State Services (DSS), Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC), commenced screening of the 133 suspected Badoo ritualists arrested on Wednesday.
The raid on Lagos Island, which happened between the early hours of 1.am to 4.am, was sequel to intelligence report received from stakeholders in the area, who had hitherto been battling the menace of cultism.
Led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations, Edgal Imohinmi, the raid yielded results and all the arrested suspects have been taken to Lagos State Taskforce headquarters at Oshodi for screening.
The suspects were alleged to be notorious cultists from two factions who had been a thorn in the flesh of the residents by their incessant violent killings and bloody clashes.
A senior police officer that spoke on anonymity said, “We raided some areas in Lagos Island and arrested over 300 persons that are suspected to be cultists.
“The raid was carried out after a meeting with stakeholders in the area and they provided us with intelligence report about the black spots that these criminal elements operate. Armed with these reports, we swooped in unawares and after raiding the hideouts, we had over 300 suspects in our custody and we have sent them to the taskforce to screen them.
“While those who are innocent would be released, those who are found culpable by the screening committee would be sent to court for the law to take its course.”
Also reacting to the controversy caused by the earlier raid of 133 suspected Badoo members, the police officer said their past experience was why a joint panel from different security outfits were incorporated to screen them and fish out the main suspects.
He said, “Our decision to raid the four black spots in Ikorodu was borne out of the need to reduce crime rate in Lagos to 10 to 20 per cent across board. In raids like that, there is no way you can ensure 100 per cent accuracy in picking suspects, although we tried our best.
“The truth about the Ikorodu raid was that we had intelligence report about the criminal hideouts and we moved in. There might have been some casualties but screening will take care of that.
“A panel was constituted by the state police command, RRS, DSS and LNSC and whoever they certify to be innocent will be released while those found culpable be taken to court.”
Meanwhile, the command said raids like that would continue across the state and won’t be restricted to Ikorodu and Lagos Island areas alone.
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