How My Girlfriend Set Me Up With Police, Cult Leader

…Two guns recovered from him

Cultist

A 36-year-old suspected cultist, Ibrahim Babatunde, has described how his girlfriend set him up with law enforcement officers for being in possession of two guns at the Sango area of Ogun State.

The suspect, also said he bought the guns from Cotonou, the Republic of Benin, in other to become the leader of Eiye cult group in Sango-Ota and it’s environs. The suspect, it was learnt had just returned from prison for a different case.

Babatunde also said that to become the leader of Eiye you have to be a strong man and also have more than one gun, which was why he bought the two guns found on him.

His arrest

He said he was at the Alagbado area of Lagos State when his girlfriend called him to come that she wants to see him, that was how he left Lagos State for Sango area of Ogun State.

“I was with my girlfriend discussing with her when some men came in and grabbed my trouser from behind and my girlfriend ran away and left me. “It was when I entered into their vehicle that I realised that they were actually policemen and I was asked where is my gun?

Initially I told them I don’t have any gun, but after much torture I opened up to them and took them to where I kept the guns.

“I bought the two guns in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, at eighty thousand nails each from where they produce them and put it inside one of the shoes I bought in Cotonou and brought them to Nigeria planning for our party where I would be announced as the leader of Eiye, before I was arrested.

“I was supposed to be crowned the number one of Eiye cult in Alagbado a week before, it was my girlfriend that they used as a bait to arrest me,” he said.

When asked why he wanted to be the leader of Eiye, he said that he will be the person who would be accorded a lot of respect by its members and members from other communities, that he will also benefit some money from their senior leaders who are rich, that such a person also don’t go to war, “your boys only come to borrow your weapon for operation. There are a lot of benefits that accrue to leaders.”

Killing

A police source told our correspondent that the suspect is a notorious Eiye cult member, who had killed five rivals cult members before now.

The police source said if not because they used his girlfriend to get to him, it will be difficult for them to arrest him. “Where he celebrates their anniversary at a hotel in Sango, a clash broke out and he shot one person dead in the hotel, that was when he was arrested and sent to prison.

“He is a sharp shooter, that was why they wanted to make him the Eiye cult group leader and he traveled to Cotonou to buy two guns so as to celebrate the new post as the leader.” The source added that they went for him after receiving information about his notoriety and thank God they were able to arrest him.

“We are also going for another notorious Aiye member who has killed seven rival cult group members in Sagamu. The one in Sagamu, after killing will cut part of the body of such person and go with it, only God knows what he uses it for.

“Whenever we are given the go ahead we will go after him, I believe same God that supported us to arrest the present one will also give us victory over that of Sagamu. Even we, the police arresting them are tired of chasing them everyday.”

Overwhelming

The source added that they are overwhelmed when its comes to issues of cultism, especially in Sagamu and Sango areas.

“That was how we battled cultist at Sagamu two years ago for about one month, the rate of killing by both rival cult group is alarming, despite law banning them they still operate. I personally, when it comes to issues of arrest of cultists I get tired.

“My team and I arrested a leader of Aiye from Bariga recently, before we moved him to Zone 2, we got a phone call that we should release him, we have no option than to free him.

Some of them are being used by the politicians. When you get to Ikorodu it’s the same thing, they are everywhere. “My brother we are overwhelmed by the issue of cultism. It’s a national issue.

Each parent should discourage his or her children from joining bad gangs and going to party they don’t know who is organising it, because that’s where they initiate.”

In hundred of suspects we arrested, seventy of them will definitely be a cultists, just to tell you what the country has turned into. “Sometimes, whenever we go on operation, probably to arrest them, they also reply us with gun shots.

Just to tell you how deadly the cultists are. They are armed with different guns, weapons and charms for protection.”

Initiation

The suspect said, “A friend of mine called Jude invited me to a birthday party, it was at the party that I was initiated into cultism, ever since I joined I have been participating in their activities.”

Babatunde claimed it was true he participated in operations of the group, but that he only shot one person and the person didn’t die. “I was a bricklayer before I was initiated into Eiye cult group, immediately I was initiated I ran away from the community where I was initiated to avoid being killed by rival members during clash.

But the Eiye group traced me to where I ran to and brought me back to the community. How my girlfriend set me up “After awhile I didn’t run again and decided to stay back with them, it was because I had issues with my girlfriend that was why she set me up with the police.

I told her I don’t want to have anything to do with her again and that we should go our separate ways. “My girlfriend was not happy when I told her we should go our separate ways, that was why she set me up. God will judge her.

It was because of her bad attitude that was why I told her we should go our separate ways, but she does not want to leave me. “I didn’t use the guns to kill, only to show my members that I am a strong man, so as to make me their leader, with the two guns we wanted to use them as defence whenever we are going to a function, because we may come across our rivals. With the guns with us we can defend ourselves.”

Ex- convict

It was a birthday party I organised and I invited my Eiye cult members that a fight broke out and a lot of things were destroyed in the hotel and I was reported to the police.” He said because he was the one who organised the birthday party that was how he was arrested and charged to court.

“Before I knew what was happening, I found myself in prison. I spent three years in prison. Before I was charged to court I was told to bring my friends who were at the birthday party, but there was no way I could bring them, because they are my members of Eiye cult group, I decided to sacrifice myself to go to prison instead of them.

“Now, I was arrested again. Six months after I returned from prison. I don’t want my mother to know that I am a cult member, she will die, because she always warned me not to be part of them.

I regret my actions because I gained nothing as a member of the cult instead I am running from one place to another for fear of being killed by rival members in Lagos.”

Security expert

A security expert, Mr. Femi Adeniji reacting to trending issues of cultists said they pose significant societal challenges, often exploiting vulnerable individuals into their folds.

Adeniji said that cultists thrive on indoctrination, especially among children who absorb the cult’s worldview without critical examination. Cult leaders also exhibit narcissistic traits, manipulating followers to surrender their autonomy and critical thinking to them.

He said: “Economy and social frustration often drive individuals, particularly students to join cult, believing they offer solutions to their problems. Despite various eradication efforts, cult still persist due to societal decay.

“Lack of parental guidance and influential adult role model, addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach that emphasises education and community support.

“To prevent children from cult indoctrination, we should educate our children about influence and teach them about healthy influence, create a safe environment for our children.

Also monitor external influences on them by being vigilant about who interacts with our children and what massage they receive especially from friends.”

Police

The Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (ZPPRO), SP Ayuba Umma, said actions were taken based on intelligence by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Adegoke Fayoade, concerning a notorious suspected Eiye cult member.

She said the suspect has been terrorising Ijoko, Ota and Sango areas of Ogun State and that the AIG assigned the officer in charge of Dragon Squad 2, DSP Adeyemi Akeem and team to discreetly carry out the operation.

“On October 10, at about 4: 39pm, the suspect who is an ex-convict was arrested at his hideout along Ijagba area of Sango-Ota, while two locally made single barrel pistols and two live cartridges were recovered from him, which he claimed he bought at Republic of Benin.

“During interrogation the suspect confessed to being a member of Eiye confraternity, while efforts are on to arrest other fleeing suspects at large.”