Operatives of the Zonal Intervention Squad, Zone 2 Police Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, have uncovered a ritualists’ den allegedly used by some fraudsters to dupe innocent Nigerians and perpetrate evil acts at Abule Ifa, Siun in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Police operatives, who had been on the trail of the suspected fraudsters and ritualists operating the shrines, stormed the village and arrested the leaders of the syndicate, including 47-year-old Taiwo Adeleke and Kayode Oseni, 52.
The Zonal Police Public Relations Officer for the command, Muyiwa Adejobi, said that the den, which was a massive edifice, contained several fetish structures/materials, assorted charms, figurines and smaller shrines as well as some inscriptions indicating the names of prominent dignitaries, who might have fallen victims to the antics of the suspects.
Adejobi, a superintendent of police, added that the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Zone 2 Command, AIG Abdulmajid Ali, led a team of senior officers, including the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu; Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Zone 2, DCP Suleiman Balarabe; Commander of the ZIS, CSP Gbenga Megbope and Commander 16 PMF, SP Chika as well as teams of Anti Robbery Squad operatives to the scene for on-the-spot assessment of the den on Wednesday.
He further said that the police team would also design possible legal means of taking over the ritualists’ den.
The zonal PPRO also stated that the AIG Zone 2, who reiterated his readiness to set all machineries in motion to tackle crimes and criminality within the zone, commended the operatives for the good job and assured the residents of the state of effective policing, which would project the Inspector-General of Police’s democratic policing strategies.
“AIG Abdulmajid Ali also promised that necessary legal steps will be taken to take over the structure and dislodge the syndicate, while he charged the residents to be more vigilant and challenge people who come around for such deals. He then ordered the immediate prosecution of the suspects,” the zonal police spokesman said.
