The Ekiti State Police Command has apprehended three additional suspects linked to their involvements in recent killings in the state.

Spokesman of the Command, DSP Sunday Abutu in a statement in Ado Ekiti, said the arrests followed ongoing onslaught against the hoodlums, especially cultists who recently attacked innocent citizens in Ado-Ekiti and consequently causing apprehension in the state.

DSP Abutu said the operatives, acting on credible information, arrested one of the fleeing gang members who partook in the recent killing of four persons in Ado-Ekiti.

The suspect, one Olanipekun Lateef a.k.a Lati Olorifunfun, who was arrested in Ode-Ekiti confessed during interrogation to be a member of Eiye secret cult, and admitted to be one of the gang members responsible for most of the recent fatal attacks in the state’s capital.

“According to him, the incident was a repraisal attack on members of the Black Axe ‘AIYE’ confraternity who killed their member on 27/05/2024 in Ado-Ekiti”.

Abutu added that the arrested suspect led the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) to a lady identified Agbeniyi Bunmi in whose custody the two guns used for the cult operations were allegedly kept.

“She was arrested and confessed that she has already handed over the two guns to Eiye secret cult Armourer, one Ademola Adejugbe a.k.a Oba, who was subsequently trailed and arrested.

“His premises was searched and one cut-to-small-size locally made single barrel gun and one English made double barrel gun concealed inside a sack bag were exhumed and recovered,” Abutu said.

The PPRO said efforts are underway to arrest more fleeing members.

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Mr Ayodeji Adarabierin has called on the youths across the state to eschew criminal activities that could lead them into trouble.

Adarabierin who is the pioneer patron of Youth Wing of the Police Community Relation Committee (PCRC) in the state, also commended the police for their spontaneous action against recent killings in Ado Ekiti.

The commendation followed the additional arrest of more suspects on allegations bordering on murder, cultism and illegal possession of firearms.

Adarabierin who is the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Biodun Oyebanji on Tax and Revenue Matters, in a statement on Wednesday, urged residents of the state to keep supporting the police and other security agencies with relevant information to help them secure the state better, adding that security is everybody’s business.

Promising continued engagement with relevant stakeholders in the security sector on how to ensure that the state remains peaceful, Adarabierin reminded that no meaningful development can be achieved in an atmosphere devoid of peace.

He emphasised on the need to sustain the present peace in the state to give room for more development under the present administration.

He said, “With the arrest of these criminal elements, the state capital would witness some degree of peace as the gang constitutes a major percentage of the violent crimes being perpetrated in recent time.

“We are all aware of the various damages these set of criminals had done to law abiding citizens in the state, especially the souls they have taken during their operations, and I sincerely want to appreciate the efforts of the police in the state for making these arrest possible and I urged them to sustain the tempo in the ongoing war against crimes in our society”.

He praised Governor Oyebanji for his resilience and support for the police in ensuring the state is safe and rid of all kinds of criminal activities.