In affluent Ikoyi, police officers assigned to the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have detained a suspected member of a cult.
Idris Ayinla, the suspect, was reportedly stopped by police detectives doing a regular checkup along the Oniru area of Ikoyi as he was in a vehicle with coworkers who may have been traveling to the Oniru beach.
According to a statement by Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Benjamin Hundeyin, the 33-year-old suspect opened fire on the police officers after they declined a bribe offer.
He claims that once his coworkers allegedly got out of the car and started to run, he was quickly gathered up and put into jail.
Police officers detained a suspected cultist in Ikoyi in the early morning hours of July 8, 2023, and found one semiautomatic weapon, four rounds of live ammo, and one cap with cult symbols on him.
“The suspect, Idris Ayinla,’m’, 33, and three other passengers were traveling toward Oniru Beach in a red Toyota Matrix with the license plate EKY 638 EX when they were hailed down by the agents who were conducting a regular sweep of Admiralty Road in Ikoyi.
One of the passengers offered the authorities money after the driver had stopped the vehicle, but the officers rejected and insisted on examining the car instead. The suspects fled from the vehicle when they sensed danger, and Idris Ayinla fired a gun at the agents as he made his getaway.
The quick action of the operatives led to his arrest, gunshot wound to his leg, and the recovery of his weapon.The suspect was thereafter sent to the Command headquarters for coordination with current investigations into cultist operations inside the state, following which all liable suspects would be brought before a judge.
“Efforts are being made to catch the evading suspects in the meanwhile. While commending the Commander RRS, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Olayinka Egbeyemi and his operatives for their alertness and dedication to duty, Lagos State Command (CP) Idowu Owohunwa assures Lagosians of the Command’s continued resolve to ensure their utmost safety and security.