Kwara police arrest five suspected cultists

Five individuals suspected of cult activity were taken into custody by officers of the Kwara State Police command, according to the DAILY POST.

These arrests follow the launch of the Violent Crimes Response Unit (VCRU), a new division created by the command to strengthen intelligence‑driven policing.

The VCRU’s first major field operation occurred on 18 May 2026 at the Kilanko and Post Office hotspots in the Ilorin metropolis. The operation targeted suspected cult hideouts and criminal networks linked to violent acts, as stated by the command’s spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire Adeyemi, in Ilorin on Tuesday.

“Acting on credible intelligence and in line with the policing vision of the Inspector‑General of Police, IGP Tunji Rilwan Disu, operatives of the unit, in collaboration with community policing stakeholders and the VGN Special Squad led by Kayode Usman, executed a coordinated operation that led to the disruption of identified criminal hideouts,” the spokesperson said.

During the operation, AbdulRahman Jimoh—known locally as Kangol—was arrested at about 2100 hrs at the Post Office axis. Jimoh is a notorious suspected cultist who has long been on the unit’s watchlist for alleged involvement in cult‑related activities and other violent crimes in Ilorin.

A search of the suspect yielded suspected hard drugs. In a related sweep at Kilanko, four additional suspected cult members were also arrested, the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson emphasized that the operation highlighted the unit’s ongoing intelligence‑driven strategy to track, disrupt, and neutralize violent criminal elements across the state.

Investigation is continuing, and the suspects will be charged in court once the investigations conclude.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, praised the VCRU personnel for their professionalism, courage, swift response, and commitment to intelligence‑driven policing in the fight against violent crime throughout the state.

Ojo assured residents of the state of the command’s unwavering resolve to maintain aggressive operations against criminal elements, and issued a stern warning to cultists, drug peddlers, and all other criminal actors to stay away from the state or face the full weight of the law.