Police Arrest Eight Suspected Cultists in Kwara State

Police in Kwara State have detained eight individuals suspected of cult activity and seized firearms and other dangerous weapons during a coordinated operation in the Ilorin metropolitan area.

The Daily Post reports that the arrests come just over a week after a violent shooting near the Post Office in Ilorin that left four people dead, two seriously injured, and two suspects arrested.

Speaking in Ilorin on Friday, spokesperson Adetoun Ejire Adeyemi said the Anti‑Cultism Unit, working with other tactical teams, acted on credible intelligence to raid a suspected cult hideout in the Akuo and Fagba areas of the city.

“The operation resulted in the arrest of eight suspected cultists: Ismail Sodiq ‘M’ 35, Ibrahim Saheed ‘M’ 26, Feyikemi Odoje ‘F’ 28, Ishola Faisat ‘F’ 23, Abubakar Zainab ‘F’ 22, Azeez Olarenwaju ‘M’ 27, Soliu Ibrahim ‘M’ 22, and Abdulbasit Abdulkadir ‘M’ 24,” Adeyemi said.

During the raid, officers recovered a cache of weapons and other incriminating items, including two locally made pistols, a pump‑action shotgun, two cut‑to‑size shotguns, 25 spent cartridges, and other weapons that could facilitate violent crime and threaten public safety.

Adeyemi added that an investigation is underway to determine each suspect’s level of involvement, identify other members of the network, and apprehend any fleeing accomplices. Those found guilty will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo credited the operation’s success to the intelligence‑led policing strategy of Inspector‑General Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirming the command’s commitment to combating cultism and other violent crimes through proactive policing and community cooperation.