Complaints of corruption and poor conduct have forced Lagos State police to sack the commander of the Anti-Cult Squad.
The police also replaced and deployed many personnel of the squad considered to be an elitist unit.
A statement by the police command’s spokesman, Mr. Chike Oti, said that the officer-in-charge of the unit, Mr. Godwin Agbegbe, was specifically removed because of allegations of unprofessional conduct and corrupt practices.
The many of the officers who served under him have been ordered to report to the command’s headquarters in Ikeja for debriefing.
He Commander had been replaced with, Mr. Akaninyene Etuk.
Oti said the commissioner of police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, also solicited the support of the public in the fight against the menace of cultism in the state.
He urged members of the public who have useful information about the activities of cultists in any part of the state to contact the commander of the Anti-Cultism Squad directly on mobile phone number 08034448617.
He gave the assurance that potential informants would be handled with utmost confidentiality.
“In a move to reposition and reinvigorate the command’s Anti-Cultism Squad, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Edgal Imohimi, has redeployed the Officer-in-Charge of the Squad , SP Godwin Agbegbe while CSP Akaninyene Etuk has been posted to take over from him.
“Similarly, all members of the squad were relieved of their duty posts and have been directed to report to the Lagos State Police Headquarters for debriefing.
“The reorganisation of the squad was necessitated by unprofessional conducts of its personnel and corruption in the unit. It is also to revitalise the outfit, believed to be very crucial in the fight against cultists and cultism in the state by infusing it with fresh blood for better service delivery.
“The CP Lagos warns that the same treatment awaits any other unit in the command that is working at cross purposes with the fundamental objectives of the Nigeria Police Force. He added that Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Head of Departments must increase supervision of their men in order to ensure non violation of the police Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).”
Meanwhile, a deadly clash by two rival cult groups has resulted in the death of an unidentified man at Alapere in Ketu, near Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) crime correspondent learnt that the incident took place at Modupe Street, off Kazeem Street in Alapere late on June 17.
A resident of the area, who claimed to have witnessed the fight, told NAN that the cultists came from a nearby street, describing the area as a hotbed of cultist activities.
NAN learnt that the Alapere cult war has been on for more than three years.
A source, who pleaded not to be identified, named the rival cults as members of Eiye and Aye confraternity.
“These cultists are always at war with each other, shooting guns at night all the time.
“Kazeem, Aminu and Akampson Streets near the transformer at Alapere are notorious for cult activities,” the source said.
Oti also confirmed the development, saying that the dead man was stabbed to death.
Oti said that the identity of the dead man was not yet known.
He said, however, that the body had been removed by policemen from the Alapere Division and deposited at a mortuary.
The spokesman said that no arrest had been made on the development.