The Oyo State Police Command says it has arrested 11 students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, over their alleged involvement in cult-related activities.

According to the police, the suspects are members of the Eiye Confraternity and were apprehended during an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Command's Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU).

The Command said the operation followed credible intelligence indicating that suspected members of the cult group had converged at hideouts in the Under-G, Yuako and Adenike areas of Ogbomoso, where they were allegedly planning coordinated attacks within the student community.

Police spokesperson said operatives swiftly moved to the identified locations, disrupted the alleged plot and arrested 11 male suspects before the planned attacks could be carried out.

The Command added that the suspects allegedly confessed to being members of the Eiye Confraternity during interrogation, while preliminary investigations linked them to various cult-related crimes, including murder. It further stated that all 11 suspects are students of LAUTECH.

The suspects were identified as Adedapo Victor (24), alleged leader of the group; Taiwo Rasheed (22), alleged second-in-command; Emeka Issac (20); Akande Segundo (26); Akande Julius (26); Stephen Opeyemi (24); Fortune Abel (22); Oluwatunmise Ayodeji (22); Adigun Oladimeji (32); Akande Moses (28); and Karim Kalid (20).

The police said a search of the suspects and their hideout led to the recovery of four locally fabricated cut-to-size pistols, 11 live cartridges, one expended cartridge, two cult axes, one cutlass, one dagger knife and a red cult hooded cap.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, commended the operatives for what he described as their professionalism and swift response, saying their actions prevented potential violence within the student community.

He assured residents that efforts were ongoing to arrest other suspected members of the group who reportedly fled during the operation.

The Police Command said the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations and urged members of the public to continue providing credible information to support efforts to combat cultism and other violent crimes across the state.