Nigeria: Three Die, Four Injured, 18 Others Arrested At Cult Initiation

The combined team of Kwara State Police Command and Vigilance group in Ilorin, Saturday night, swooped on the hideout of Aiye Confraternity initiation which led to death of three, four critically injured while 18 were arrested.

The cultists from neighbouring states, who were returning from an initiation ceremony were mistaken for robbers by the security operatives.

The command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olufemi Fabode, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, confirmed the incident in Ilorin, yesterday.

Fabode explained that prior to the incident, the police had information that on Saturday night, robbers were hiding in a bush behind NASFAT village along Airport Road, Ilorin preparatory to unleashing terror on the residents of the area.

He said: "This prompted various vigilance groups in the communities around the place to mount sentry on all roads that lead to the bush and waited until early hours of the morning when the Aiye Conferternity completed their initiation.

"Unaware that ambush had been laid for them, they ran into it. The vigilance groups mistook them for robbers and opened fire on them."

The PPRO said during the exchange of gun fire, three of the cult members fell and were almost burnt before men of the command got there.

The police spokesman confirmed that three of the cultists died, four critically injured and 18 of them were arrested and are being interrogated by the men of the state CID.

He said some of the cultist came from as far as Lagos, Osun, Ibadan and Oro respectively, adding that more of them will be arrested

He said investigation still continues while those died have been taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital mortary , the injured taken to hospital and the rest 18 are cooling their feet with the CID.

He enjoined Kwarans "to always give useful information to the Police with a view to make the state crime free and warned parents to monitor their wards as some of those arrested disclosed that they were yet to gain admission to higher institution, neither their parents know their where about,saying if this could happen then they would graduate to become kingpin of the group," he noted.

He however urged the members of various security agencies in the state to partner with the command in its untiring efforts to make kwara state a crisis free one