Oyo Police Arrest Serving Corporal, Eight Others Over Alleged Cultism, Kidnapping

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a serving police corporal and eight other suspects in separate operations involving alleged cultism and kidnapping.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in an operational report released on Thursday, detailing two operations carried out by the Command Monitoring Unit and other security personnel.

In the first operation, operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit, Oyo Operational Base, raided a suspected Aiye Confraternity hideout on November 8, 2026.

Five suspects were arrested during the raid, including Corporal Olayinka Oluwatobi, who was attached to MOPOL 72 in Ago-Are and seconded to Sports Eleyele in Ibadan.

The police also identified two other suspects as Ayandiran Samuel, described as the fraternity’s armourer, and Adeyinka Qudus, whom they identified as the alleged cult leader.

The operation led to the recovery of an English-made Beretta pistol and three locally fabricated pistols.

According to Iniedu, the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Ibadan for further investigation.

In a separate operation, operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit, working with the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, rescued a 30-year-old man, Abubakar Amidu, from the Oteon/Odi Owo Forest on November 8.

Amidu was reportedly abducted on October 31, 2026, and was rescued unhurt after the operation. Four suspects were arrested in connection with the kidnapping.

They were identified as Abdullahi Bello, Mohammed Kontagora, Alhaji Ali and Usman Alhaji Ali.

The police also recovered the victim’s mobile phone and a chain and lock allegedly used to restrain him.

Iniedu said investigations into both incidents were ongoing, while efforts continued to identify and apprehend other possible suspects.

The arrests bring the total number of suspects apprehended in the two operations to nine, including the serving police corporal.