Lagos State Police Command has declared wanted, no fewer than 20 suspected members of the dreaded Bodoo cult group operating in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
The Police in collaboration with other security agencies and local security volunteers had earlier arrested 87 suspected members of the group. The 87 suspects were arrested during an all-night operation on their hideouts in Owutu and Odongunyan in Ikorodu.
Persons declared wanted for cult related killings include Moshood (a.k.a Mosho), Alfa (a.k.a King of Boys), Papa, Fela, Alakoto, and Chukwudi.
The Police also declared 14 others wanted in connection with kidnapping in Ikorodu. They include Agbara, O.C, Femi (a.k.a FM), Pencil, Odidan, Jaru, Allen, Bush, Happiness, Fagbo, Junior, Nuru and Jamiu.
The raid was an extensive operation on the two areas – Odongunyan and Owutu. It was necessitated by more intelligence on the membership of the dreaded cult group and their mode of operations.
Prior to the operations, the police in conjunction with members of the Department of State Service, representatives of the Nigerian Army, Lagos Neighbourhood Security Corps and Odua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) met with herbalists in Ikorodu and its suburbs on the need to collaborate with the Police to wipe out the cult group in Ikorodu.
The Police, however, have also called on the suspects to turn themselves in by reporting themselves to the nearest Police station.
The Command equally advised members of the public with useful information that could lead to the arrest the mentioned who are all residents of Ikorodu to assist the police in combating this menace.
The representative of the state Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni at a meeting, Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Imohimi Edgal also warned the herbalists, residents, and local vigilantes to eschew jungle justice, stressing that the Command would not tolerate further excesses from the security stakeholders.
Also involved in the exercise were the Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), ACP Olatunji Disu; Acting Area Commander, Ikorodu and all DPOs in Ikorodu among other senior Police officers.