by Rachel Ogbu

10 Suspected burglars belonging to an unnamed secret cult in Igbesa area of the Agbara Industrial town in Ado-Odo/Ota, Ogun state have been caught.

The Ogun State Police Command recovered stolen goods worth about N3.5m from the suspects some of whom were identified as Ojo Razak, Abioye Ismail, Oladapo Akin Akala, Oluwaseun Adegboyega and Orepodun John.

On Tuesday, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement that the suspected criminals were arrested at about 10am on Monday while they were having a party.

According to reports, Adejobi, a deputy superintendent of police, said a team of the anti-crime unit of the command, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Ayo Sonubi, arrested six of the suspects, who were members of a dreaded cult group in Igbesa, while the remaining four were caught within the premises of a polythene company in Agbara where they attempted to steal raw materials.

The Punch reports:

The statement further said the police anti-crime teams had placed the suspected cultists under surveillance following an intelligence report from the command’s Intelligence Bureau in the area on the deadly plans of these suspected cultists who had over the period unleashed terror on the people of the community.

The police spokesman said the raw material the suspected burglars attempted to evacuate from the premises of the company was worth N3.5m and listed their names as 26-year-old Oluyemi Ayodeji, Omololu Odedina (22), Opeyemi Bolarinwa (24) as well as the 38-year-old Kabiru Iyanda.

The police said the suspects gained entry into the premises with the assistance of some personnel of the company, who had already arranged labourers to load the stolen goods into a waiting truck with number plate (LAGOS) XY 862 FKJ.

Adejobi, however, added that the labourers, arranged to load the vehicle, took to their heels before the arrival of the police team.

The police spokesman said all the arrested suspects would soon be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and prosecution.