Police Nab 10 Suspected Cultists After Gun Duel at Moro Lounge
The Osun State Police Command has arrested 10 suspected members of an unlawful society following a midnight raid on a lounge in Moro Community, Ife North Local Government Area.
Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan, who disclosed this during a press briefing on Monday, said the suspects, nine men and one woman, were apprehended after engaging police operatives in a gun battle.
According to Gotan, the suspects were planning “evil acts” at the lounge when officers of the Police Rapid Response Unit stormed the venue, acting on credible intelligence.
“At about 12:45 a.m. on October 25, 2025, the command received information from public-spirited citizens that suspected criminals involved in cultism, kidnapping, and thuggery were shooting sporadically and causing panic at a lounge in Moro,” Gotan explained.
He said the operatives, led by the commander of the Rapid Response Unit, swiftly mobilised to the scene but came under fire from the suspects.
“Our gallant officers responded decisively and successfully repelled the attack without any casualty,” he added.
A subsequent search of the premises led to the arrest of 10 suspects and the recovery of five guns, ammunition, five vehicles, and 10 motorcycles.
Gotan revealed that the lounge had become a criminal hideout for planning violent operations in the area.
Those arrested were identified as Adebayo Olalekan (27), Hammed Abdullah (47), Olajide Opeyemi (34), Olushola Samson (24), Salako Opeyemi (20), Majekodunmi Shefiu (32), Ganiyu Yusuf (24), Ridwan Temitope (25), Taofeek Yusuf (25), and Babafemi Adelowo (28).
Gotan added that both the owner and supervisor of the lounge were on the run, with police intensifying efforts to apprehend them.
In a related operation, the commissioner said the command also arrested 22-year-old Lekan Jamiu, a suspected member of a criminal gang operating in Osogbo. The police recovered a cut-to-size locally made pistol, ammunition, assorted charms, and Indian hemp from him.
“All the suspects will be charged to court upon completion of investigations,” Gotan said, assuring residents of the command’s continued determination to rid Osun State of criminal elements.
He appealed to residents to support security efforts through timely intelligence sharing, emphasising that the police would ensure the protection of lives and property across the state.
The latest arrests form part of the command’s sustained crackdown on cultism and violent crime.
In recent months, the police have carried out similar operations, including the arrest of seven suspects in Ile-Ife and Iree for armed robbery and cult-related violence, as well as the October 20 arrest of one Ismail Damilare, who was caught with locally made firearms.
