…as Kwara police parades 10 for cultism
Stories by Ahmed Ajikobi
Alleged notorious cultist, Kale Bayero has claimed not to have knowledge of beingย on Kwara Police wanted list, just as he denied being member of secret cult.
Bayero stated this while speaking to Pilot Crime shortly after he was paraded at the state Police headquarters in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Thursday.
“I’mย surprised to hear that I was declared wanted. Nobody informed me.ย I was in Sango Otta,ย Ogun State throughout last year and when I returned I was going about my business freely and was not arrested,” he explained.
The suspect, who was until his arrest the Chief Security Officer of Kwara United Football Club, alleged that he was arrested over trump-up charge.
“I’m not a cult member because I’m not a student. I was arrested based on allegation that myself and some boys were involved in a fracas with members of a community, which was not so. They also said I hit someone with my car, these are all lies,” Bayero added.
However, during the parade, the state Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Fafowora, disclosed that on the 20th of October, the suspect knocked down one Zainab Sakiru of Adabata area, Ilorin with his Honda Accord Car Reg. No. FKJ 271 CC and ran away.
According to the CP, some passers-by gave Bayero a hot chase and caught up withย him at Eruda area, in the state capital.
“That got him angry and he mobilised Yinka Alabi, Ibrahim Olatunde Elijah, Abeeb Azeez and Sikiru Jimoh as well as other members of Eiye confraternity secret cult now at large, who came and started beating and destroying people’s property within Eruda community.
“Based on the information, the anti-cult section of the state CIID and other security agencies swung into action and stormed the rendezvous of the cult members within Ilorin, where the suspectsย were nabbed, including Kale,” he added.
Fafowora further disclosed that Bayero had been declared wanted by the police since last year for crime ranging from robbery to homicide, adding that he would soon be charged to court alongside other suspects.
“Items such as Honda Accord with reg. No. FKJ 271 CC, stones, broken wind screen, two black Nokia phone, half gallon of palm oil were recovered from them, “the CP said
Other suspected cultists paraded are Abdullahi Olarewaju, Taofiq Sulaiman, Yusuf Alao, Musa Imam, Abdullahi Abubakar,ย arrested by operatives of the anti-cult unit of the state CIID, followingย information of their activities within the Ilorin metropolis.
The police boss said they confessed during interrogation to be members of Eiye and Vikings confraternities respectively.
It would be recalled that this medium had reported theย confusion that trailed the whereabout of Bayero, who was arrested by Joint Community Team (JCT) at Ogidi, Ilorin and handed over to the Kwara State Police Command penultimate Sunday.
A source close to the suspect had informed our reporter that he had been released and receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Ilorin.
A police source however countered the claim that the suspect had been released, saying Bayero was still being detained at the time and undergoing interrogation.
This was also corroborated by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi.
“If anyone claimed to have seen him, such person should provide photo evidence to us and also the area where the suspect was sighted. All I know is that he is still in our custody,” he had said.
Bayero was nabbed penultimate Sunday at his Ogidi hideout by JCT.
The JCT had launched manhunt for him following the alleged terror his boys unleashed on Eruda community after he was said to have hit a passer-by with his car in the area and immediately sped off.
The suspect was said to have been arrested at Technical Secondary School, area, Ogidi after a resident asked the JCT to re-direct their search to a particular spot where people smoke Indian hemp.
The JCT reportedly invaded the building and discovered Bayero having sexual intercourse with one of his girlfriends. Upon sighting his assailants, he was said to have ran into the toilet in the room where he was eventually caught, beaten and tied with some members of his gang.
