Police arrest 100 cult members in Ikorodu

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The Lagos State Police Command said it has arrested about 100 members of the dreaded Badoo Cult gang that has been terrorizing residents of the Ikorodu area in the past one year.

In a statement by the command spokesman, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, the raid on black spots in the area was coordinated by the Command in conjunction with Odua Peoples’ Congress [OPC], led by Chief Gani Adams, the Onyabo Vigilante group and other local vigilantes in the Ikorodu axis where the alleged suspects were arrested.

play Chief Gani Adams [middle] and top police officers (Lagos Police Command)

The operation which started in the early hours of Saturday, July 1, 2017, witnessed the movement of a combined team of police officers drawn from Lagos Command, Rapid Response Squad [RRS], and the Ikorodu Police Division led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Imohimi Edgal.

They were joined by some security support groups in Ikorodu in combing streets after streets arresting the suspects.

The team was said to have raided some identified black spots in areas like Ibeshe, Itamaga, Ijede, Ipakodo and other areas and arrested the suspects for questioning.

However, some residents of the Ikorodu area have questioned the police's action with some saying many of those arrested could not be the real Badoo members as they were picked at random during the raid.

A resident who did not want his name mentioned, told Pulse that the raid was just a front to convince the people that the police are working.

play The Badoo suspects arrested by the police (Lagos Police Command)

"The statement by the police that they have arrested Badoo members is a pure lie. Where did they comb? Which black spot did they raid? I live in Ikorodu, Ibeshe to be precise. They just came to the area and started arresting anyone in sight.

Would the Badoo members be walking around waiting to be arrested? A friend of mine sent his younger brother to withdraw some money at a nearby ATM and the poor boy was arrested.

play One of the suspects undergoing screening (Lagos Police Command)

When my friend went to the station, he was told to pay N50,000 to bail the boy. Where have the police been for one year now that the Badoo gang has been killing people at will? Is it now that they realize that the gang exists?"

ALSO READ: "Badoo: Ikorodu resident narrates how the deadly cult gang started"

However, the police have stated that the suspects would be screened and anyone found to be innocent would be freed without any money exchanging hands.