Lagos State Police Command has arrested four suspected cultists and alleged contract killers believed to be connected to a series of violent crimes in Ajanmgbadi, Ojo and neighbouring communities.

The command disclosed the arrests in a statement posted on its official X handle on Tuesday.

The suspects were identified as Emmanuel Nwokolo, popularly known as “Oblo,” 35; Ayola Israel, also known as “Essy Pawpaw,” 39; Ebuka Nnamdi, 31; and Chinedu Okafor, 22.

According to the police, the suspects were apprehended during an intelligence-led operation at a hotel in the Ajanmgbadi area of Ojo Local Government Area.

The command said preliminary investigations uncovered evidence linking the suspects to several violent crimes within the area.

Police further revealed that a video allegedly showing the killing of unidentified individuals in Ajanmgbadi and surrounding communities was recovered from the mobile phone of one of the suspects.

During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to being members of the Aiye Confraternity and admitted involvement in a series of attacks and killings that had unsettled residents in the affected communities.

The statement added that a subsequent search operation led to the recovery of two locally made pistols, one revolver and 13 live cartridges believed to be connected to their criminal activities.

According to the command, investigations are continuing to determine the full scope of the suspects’ operations, identify other members of the criminal network and apprehend additional accomplices still at large.

The police said the suspects would be charged in court upon the completion of investigations.

Commending the operatives involved in the operation, the Commissioner of Police reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating crime and ensuring the safety of residents across the state.

He assured Lagosians that efforts would continue to dismantle criminal groups and bring perpetrators of violent crimes to justice.

The commissioner also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and support law enforcement agencies by providing timely and credible information that could aid crime-fighting efforts.

Seventeen suspected male cultists aged between 18 and 28 years have been arrested by the  Abia State Police Command.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka made this known in a press release on Tuesday night.

She said that some of the suspected cultists were arrested at their various meeting points, while the others were nabbed on their way to perpetrate crimes.

According to the Abia State Police Command, items recovered from the suspects include: five short guns, three live ammunition, thirteen  mobile phones of different makes, two  cutlasses, one  axe and one  black barete.

The Command said that the arrest of the suspects followed  the recent upsurge in cult-related activities in the State,  including the attack on 13/05/2026 at No. 29 Brass Road, Aba, where a young man was shot and macheted to death by a group of suspected cultists.

The Command also recalled that another young man was shot by suspected cultists  on 24/05/2026 at Ehere, near Opobo jppunction in Aba.

“The Abia State Police Command, leveraging on actionable intelligence, took the fight to the criminals. Operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit ,VCRU, successfully apprehended seventeen (17) suspected cultists linked to the aforementioned incidents in Aba, Abia State”, she stated.

The Police said that the suspects are being charged to the Court as investigation has been concluded on the matter, 

It  further assured that the Abia State Police Command under the watch of Commissioner of Police, CP Danlandi Isa would ensure that there is no hiding place for cultists and other criminal activities in Abia.

Sokoto State Police Command has arrested a suspected drug dealer and recovered a large quantity of suspected hard drugs during an operation in the state.

The Command also foiled a bandit attack and recovered rustled livestock in separate security operations.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the drug suspect was arrested on May 27 during a stop-and-search operation along the Kebbi-Sokoto Road by operatives attached to the Bado Division.

According to the statement, the suspect, identified as Ummaru Abubakar Gugare, was intercepted while riding an unregistered motorcycle alongside another suspect who escaped during the operation.

Police said a search conducted on the suspects led to the recovery of a sack containing substances suspected to be Indian hemp, as well as quantities of Axzol, Benthexol and D5 tablets classified as controlled drugs.

The recovered exhibits were taken into police custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect.

In a separate operation on May 30, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit foiled a bandit attack on Zabori, Tambaranga and Gidan Yero villages in Wamakko Local Government Area.

The operation followed a distress call reporting the invasion of the communities by armed bandits.

Police said the operatives blocked the suspects’ escape route around Abdalo Forest in Gwadabawa Local Government Area, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

According to the statement, the bandits fled into the forest after being overpowered by security operatives, with some reportedly sustaining gunshot wounds.

One suspect, identified as Musa Usman of Damba Village in Illela Local Government Area, was arrested during the operation.

The police also recovered 11 cows and five sheep believed to have been rustled by the suspects.

The livestock have been taken into custody pending identification and return to their owners.

The command said investigations into both cases were ongoing, while efforts had been intensified to apprehend other suspects linked to the crimes.