Stories by Ahmed Ajikobi
Men of the Kwara State Police Command have arrested 13 suspected cultists in connection with the clash between members of the Badoo confraternity and men of the Vigilante Group in Ilorin, last Tuesday Pilot Crime has learnt.
The clash occurred in Isale-Jagun area of Ilorin, the state capital on the fateful day.
Among the suspects arrested are two females; Rasheedat Rasheed and Sikirat Jamiu of Adeta and Isale Jagun areas of Ilorin.
It was gathered that the Badoo cultists arrested were mostly students and artisans who are native of Ilorin.
Other nabbed suspects are Mustapha Abeeb, Mustapha Sulaiman of Oloje area, Abeeb Jimoh of Pakata area, Isiaq Tajudeen of Omoda area,Uthman Jamiu of Isale Jagun and Abdulrasaq sheu.
Also arrested were Taofiq Bello of Ita Kudima, Jimoh Ayinla of Isale Jagun, Mutiu Aliyu of Alfa Yahaya, Yusuf Garba and Abdulhakeem Hussein of Ita-Amon area.
According to a police source, the case was reported at the Adewole Police Division and security agents were deployed to the scene, which led to arrest of the suspects.
The police source added that the suspects were transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligent Department, Police headquarters.
โDuring interrogation, they confessed to be members of the notorious Badoo confraternity.
โThey gave identity of their leader in the state who is currently at large, as well as lead that could lead to his arrest,” the source told our reporter.
ย The police source added that efforts are on to apprehend other members of the secret cult in the state.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, said it was unfortunate that residents of the Isale Jagun did not make formal complaint on the existence of members of the confraternity in the community until the Tuesday incident.
“It was when the situation got out of control that they called the attention of the police to rescue it.
“Our patrol team swung into action and made some arrests on the fateful day and many more arrests are being made in connection with the matter.
“Based on the strength of information we got, the suspects wore T-shirt with Badoo inscription.
“We have heard and seen what members of the confraternity did in the Lagos incident; Badoo boys attack. We don’t want such horrible attack in our state. The police will do everything to chase them out of the state,” the police spokesman assured.
Okasanmi, however, urged members of the public to report any suspicious act or movement within community to the police or any security agency nearest to them, stressing that, “security is not one man show.”
โMembers of the public should be rest assured that the command and other security agencies will not leave any stone unturned to smoke out members of the confraternity from their hideouts,” he further stated.
ย It would be recalled that this medium had reported how men of the Vigilante, Kwara State Command deflected bullets fired at them by suspected members of Badoo fraternity at Isale Jagun area, Okelele, Ilorin East Local Government Area of the state.
The ugly incident according to an eyewitness was said to have occurred around 4pm as a proclaimed special prayer organised by the Badoo boys reportedly turned out to be a fraternity event.
Eyewitness report had it that some boys at Isale Jagun, Okelele area, hired five vigilante men as security on the pretext that they were organising a special prayer but surprisingly, the event turned out to be something else.
โThe event started well but it got to a point when no one could understand the message being passed by those boys among themselves. They all wore white T-shirt with Badoo inscribed on it.โ
The source added that when the vigilante men tried to ascertain what was really going on by talking to the leader of the group, they were attacked by the Badoo fraternity.
โTo disperse the crowd, the Badoo boys shot sporadically into the air and just as the vigilante men were trying to calm the situation, the boys shot at the security men. However to the surprise of everyone, the vigilante kept deflecting the bullets by brushing it down,โ he divulged.
Also, one of the vigilante men who witnessed the scene but pleaded anonymity, said, he and his colleagues were on a peace mission but the Badoo boys turned it to a shooting spree.
