ABEOKUTA – Police in Ogun State have arrested 14 suspected members of the Aiye cult group, comprising 13 males and one female, while they were planning to initiate new members in a bush in Isara-Remo.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects include three locally made pistols, eleven live cartridges, four rounds of 9mm Beretta ammunition, criminal charms, confraternity caps, and one drum. Other items include 19 mobile phones, a Samsung mini laptop, and nine vehicles of various brands, some without registration plates and others bearing unauthorised dealer plates.
Police Public Relations Officer Oluseyi Babaseyi confirmed the arrests to newsmen in Abeokuta over the weekend.
Babaseyi said the suspects were apprehended on 24 January 2026 at about 1:20 a.m. for alleged unlawful assembly and conspiring to breach the peace in an attempt to initiate new members into the cult group.
“Acting swiftly, a joint team of operatives from the Anti-Cultism Unit and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), supported by personnel from Ipara/Isara Divisions, conducted a coordinated sweep operation, arresting 14 suspects, comprising 13 males and one female.
“Among those apprehended are: Solomon Shobamiwo, also known as ‘Solo Hot’; Farooq Ogunsola; Toheeb Abolade; Balogun Williams; Ayodele Abdulkareem; Adedapo Ogunsanya; Toheeb Saka; Akpan Dara; Micheal Olakemi; Habeeb Olayinka; Dapo Adeola; Adetunji Adeyemi; Henry Kingsley—all males; and Nanso Blessing, the female suspect.”
“The suspects are undergoing investigations and will be charged to court upon completion. Ongoing sweep operations and intelligence-led patrols continue across the axis to apprehend other fleeing suspects and ensure sustained peace, security, and public safety for residents and communities,” the statement added.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, condemned the cult group’s unlawful assembly, initiation plans, breach of peace, and all cult-related criminal activities in the state.
Ogunlowo urged youths to renounce cultism and criminal associations, assuring residents, students, parents, and stakeholders that the Command remains fully committed to protecting lives and property.
He also called on members of the public to report any suspicious activities or security concerns through the Ogun State Police Command emergency lines: Gateway Shield (General Complaints Line – Toll-Free): 0800 000 9111; Emergency Numbers: 0906 283 7609, 0912 014 1706, 0915 102 7369, and 0708 497 2994.
