The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, on Thursday said cult members and ritualists who are caught in action with arms would henceforth be shot on sight by policemen in the state.
Ali, who stated this shortly after parading 23 suspected criminals at the state police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, said his command would not tolerate the rising cases of cultism and ritual killings.
The suspects paraded were arrested in connection with murder, kidnapping, cultism and unlawful possession of human skull, while several weapons, including guns, cutlasses, assorted charms and expended cartridges, were recovered from them.
The police commissioner, who assumed duty on July 9, also disclosed that one person has been charged to court for the killing of the 82-year-old Iyaloja-General of Ijebuland, Alhaja Sadiat Elewuju.
New Telegraph reported that the octogenarian was hacked to death allegedly by a gang of six men who stormed her residence at Sabo area of Ijebu-Ode on July 8.
Ali, who declined to reveal the identity of the alleged killer of Elewuju, simply said: “He (the accused) was charged to court on Wednesday.
“Our investigation so far confirmed that he perpetrated the act but tried to hide under a cover that six people were seen and all that.
“We didn’t want to parade him because it’s a case that we have already charged to court.
“From all the available information and the investigation conducted, the boy is a very close person to the woman.
“He was the person that saw the Iyaloja last.
“He was also the one that took care of her.”
On the shoot on sight order for armed cultists and ritualists, Ali insisted it would not amount to extra-judicial killing, adding that the intention of armed criminals is either to kill or maim.
He said the police would soon carry out raids on various campuses to apprehend suspected cult members, adding that the command had identified their abode and would get rid of them.
He said: “I want to inform you that the issue of cultism and ritualist will not be treated with levity any longer. We will not tolerate any nonsense again because treating them as cult members is giving them some opportunity to continue to involve in these activities.
“These people are murderers, they are armed robbers. If you see an armed robber in action, what do you do? We’ll confront them and that’s exactly what should be done. These people are no longer cultists; they are maiming people, killing people, kidnapping people and you are calling them cultists?
“They are not cultists; it’s a serious offence and so we should treat them as such. So, it’s not issue of extra-judicial killing. No. These acts should not be treated with kid gloves; it should be treated with seriousness and that’s what I intend to do in the state. We are being covered by the police force order.”
Ali solicited the cooperation of members of the public with the police towards ensuring adequate protection of lives and property in the state.
—
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
