A 39-year-old suspected cultist, Ikechukwu Monye, has told the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Lagos that he was arrested while he was planning his wedding.

The suspect claimed he had no hands in the lingering cult war at Ilupeju area of Lagos State.

The suspected Eiye leader, who claimed to be a graduate of Yaba College of Technology, was being chased by the SARS operatives when a stray bullet from the police hit a sweeper, Francis Idum, on Monday, July 15, 2019 at Ajisegiri Street.

The state Commissioner of Police, Muazu Zubairu, in a statement after the incident, said his men went into the community where the victim was killed to restore normalcy over the lingering war between rival cult groups in the area.

Zubairu said his men moved into area when they got information about some of the armed cultists terrorising the residents of the area and its environs while Monye was fingered as the leader of Eiye confraternity at Ilupeju.

Monye was traced to Ilupeju where he was arrested.

The suspect told the police during investigation that he had renounced his membership of the cult group four years ago. Thereafter, he led a team of SARS operatives from Ladipo to Ilupeju, on August 15, to effect the arrest of those fomenting trouble in the area.

Briefing journalists recently over the killing of Idum, the National President, Path of Peace Initiative, Dandy Eze, described it as an act of callousness.

He explained that Idum was killed when he was going about his work at Ajisegiri Street, while the policemen were chasing some hoodlums.

A few minutes after Idum was killed, the policemen returned to the area in a Toyota Corolla with registration number TAB 725 AP, accompanied by a senior police officer from Area ‘F’ and took the victim’s body to mortuary without contacting his family.

Eze said after the policemen evacuated the corpse, residents of the area were able to pick the bullet shells used to by the policemen.

But Monye, who spoke with our correspondent, stated that there was no shootout between the police team and cultists when he led the team there.

He said: “I was arrested at Bode Thomas. But I told the police I had long renounced membership of Eiye. They went to my house to conduct a search but did not find any incriminating thing, except a scissors. From there, I led them to a place where cultists usually assemble at Ilupeju. By the time we got there, there were many of them (cultists) and the police had to withdraw, saying they were going for reinforcement.

“I was in the detention when I heard that someone was killed. But there was no shootout between the police and cultists when we visited. Some of the cultists even fled on sighting the police because they recognised the police team leader.

The suspect, who became emotional, wondered if he would still be in police custody when his pregnant wife-to-be is delivered of a baby.

He said: “Unfortunately, I was preparing for my wedding when I was picked by the police. It was true I was once a member of Eiye confraternity. But I’m no longer a member. I beg to be released, so as to go home to see my wife-to-be. I want to be there when my first child is born.

“I joined cultism at the age of 22, while I was a student of Yaba Technical College. I thought it was a gathering where we wore good clothes, party and club because that was all we were doing then. But when I discovered they wanted to start fighting, I renounced my membership. Then, I was the third in command. I never did anything dirty. When they noticed my quality, I was elected the secretary because I was intelligent. I did not even finish my tenure as the group’s secretary when I renounced my membership. It was after I left that they started fighting in the area.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Elkana Bala, confirmed Monye’s arrest.

Elkana said the suspect would be charged to court soon.

The PPRO added that detectives at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, were also investigating the incident that led to the death of Idum at Ilupeju. (New Telegraph)

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