Commissioner orders policemen to shoot cultists, ritualists

To curb rising cases of cultism and ritual killings, policemen in Ogun State Command have been ordered to shoot cult members and ritualists arrested with arms and ammunition.
The state Police Commissioner, Abdulmajid Ali, who described cult members and ritualists as criminals, said “the intention of armed criminals is either to kill or maim”.
He spoke at the police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta,, the state capital on Thursday while parading 23 suspected criminals
“I want to inform you that the issue of cultists and ritualists will not be treated‎ with levity any longer. We will not tolerate any nonsense again because treating them as cult members is giving them some opportunity to continue to involve in these activities.
“These people are murderers, they are armed robbers. If you see an armed robber in action‎, what do you do? We ‘ll confront them and that’s exactly what should be done. These people are no longer cultists. They are maiming people, killing people, kidnapping people and you are calling them cultists?
“They are not cultists; it’s a serious offence and so we should treat them as such. So, it’s not an issue of extra-judicial killing. No. These acts should not be treated with kid gloves. It should be treated with seriousness and that’s what I intend to do in the state. We are covered by the Police Force Order.”
Ali said the suspects paraded were arrested in connection with murder, kidnapping, cultism and unlawful possession of human skull.
Several weapons, including guns, cutlasses, assorted charms and expended cartridges were recovered from them.
Ali revealed that a suspect had been arraigned for the murder of 82-year-old Iyaloja-General of Ijebuland, Alhaja Sadiat Elewuju.
He said: “We didn’t want to parade him because it’s a case that we have already charged to court. From all the available information and the investigation conducted, the boy is a very close person to the woman. He was the person that saw the Iyaloja last, ‎he was also the one that took care of her.”