Tag: state Police Command

The increasing incidents of bloody street brawls by rival cult clashes in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, have become a cause for worry in the state. That was why stakeholders drawn from the state police command, Department of State Services (DSS) and a socio-cultural organisation, Ilorin Emirate Descendants’ Progressives Union (IEDPU) recently met in Ilorin, to discuss way out of the menace.

During the meeting, IEDPU, an umbrella body of the Ilorin emirate revealed that no fewer than 30 persons have been allegedly killed in cult-related clashes in the last six months in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

The union therefore asked members of various communities in the emirate to expose members of suspected secret cult in their areas. It added that the killings were allegedly carried out by rival cult groups in various parts of the state.

The union also asked the communities to name those involved in sales of liquor in prohibited communities and those involved in smoking of cannabis sativa and other prohibited substances as step towards of eradication.

Addressing a security stakeholders meeting held at the union’s national secretariat, Ilorin, its national president, Alhaji Abdulhamid Adi, expressed sadness that Ilorin emirate which was

hitherto known for peace and harmony has been turned into a theatre of war.

‘‘The level of criminality is getting worrisome within the metropolis. In the last 6 months more than 30 lives were wasted by cultist.

“Notorious areas include Agbo-Oba , Gada, Edun, Gambari, and Ajikobi. The latest ones about two weeks ago were at Okesuna, Stadium, etc,” he said.

Adi said the union conveyed the stakeholders meeting to rob minds with stakeholders on how to nip the alarming trend in the bud.

To address the menace, Chairman, IEDPU Security committee, Ambassador Usman Abduazeez said unless the members of every community volunteer to purge their areas of crimes the anti-cult war and other prevailing security challenges might be difficult to win.

He urged every community to come up with the lists of suspected cult members and criminal in their community for security agencies to act upon.

Abdulazeez warned against taking the law into their hands.

‘B’ Division District Police Officer (DPO), Mukaila Yusuf said over the years measures had not been taking to address the menace.

Mr. Yusuf added, saying, “It is established fact that in Ilorin, in particular, the issue of cultism is not restricted to students alone, but artisans are major culprits.”

He therefore urged heads of artisans to monitor and train their apprentices on the dangers inherent in cultism.

He disclosed that the Kwara state government recently empowered the command with vehicle to strengthen the operational strategies of the anti-cultism unit of the command, adding, “That is currently yielding positive result.”

He said, “This has led to the arrest of known cultists in the metropolis and the exercise continues. It is therefore imperative on the part of all in the society to de-emphasise [thuggish acts] and celebration of violence and shift attention to positive societal values which will enhance positive growth.”