The Osun State Police Command has arrested seven suspects over alleged armed robbery, attempted murder, and cult-related violence in Ile-Ife and Iree, recovering two stolen motorcycles.
Police spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, in a statement on Thursday, said one of the suspects, 23-year-old Johnson Olagoke, allegedly lured two commercial motorcyclists to a secondary school in Ile-Ife on different occasions in August, where he and his accomplices beat them unconscious before stealing their motorcycles, cash, and phones.
According to the police, the first attack occurred on August 16, when the rider lost a motorcycle, N17,850, a Techno phone, and a handbag.
Two days later, another rider was struck from behind and dispossessed of his motorcycle, N10,650, and a Techno Spark 9F. Both victims were left unconscious.
“The first complainant stated that on August 16, 2025, at about 2000hrs, the suspect engaged his service that he should convey him to a school in Ile-Ife where he left his bag, unknown to him that two of his gangs were on standby inside the school waiting for him.
“Immediately he arrived inside the school, he was hit with a big stick continuously until he became unconscious and consequently, they carted away his motorcycle, a cash sum of N17,850, a Techno phone and a handbag,” the statement added.
In another instance, Ojelabi explained, “On August 18, 2025, the same suspect engaged the second complainant and fraudulently obtained N5,000 from him and assured him to wait in front of the same school. Having turned back, the suspect hit the victim on the head from behind until he lost consciousness and his motorcycle, a bag containing one Techno Spark 9F and a cash sum of N10,650 were carted away.
“Through intelligence-led operations, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested the suspect and recovered two motorcycles. The suspect has been helping with relevant information to arrest others at large,” Ojelabi stated.
In a separate development, police said six suspected cultists linked to a bloody clash at a higher institution in Ire were arrested on September 8 and 9. Members of the Buccaneers confraternity and rival groups reportedly exchanged gunfire, leaving two students injured and hospitalised.
“In compliance with the directives of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, the team swiftly moved to the scene and arrested three suspects, while three others were later apprehended in continuation of the operation,” Ojelabi said.
The suspects, identified as Oluwadamilare Temitope, 23; Ayodeji John, 24; Adepoju Adesoji, 27; Yusuf Abeeb, 24; Fatai Quadri, 24; and Lateef Abiodun, 23, were picked up by the Anti-Cultism Unit during the raid.
“All suspects will be charged to court after the completion of investigation,” the statement concluded.
In Osun State alone, about 55 deaths over that period are linked to cult violence, marking it as one of the states where cult groups are expanding.
