The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a suspected cult leader, identified as Abdul Boluwatife, during an operation in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state.
Spokesperson for the command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka Olushola, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, noting that the arrest was part of the command’s ongoing clampdown on cult activities across tertiary institutions in the state.
According to the statement, the suspect was apprehended on October 15, 2025, at about 1:00 p.m. after police operatives received intelligence that some young men were holding a clandestine meeting within the premises of A.U.D. Secondary School, Akungba, and chanting cult-related slogans.
On sighting the police, the suspects fled, but Boluwatife was arrested after a chase.
He reportedly confessed to being the leader of a known cult group within Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), and had been on the command’s watchlist for some time.
Items recovered from the scene included one locally fabricated pistol, five cutlasses, a battle axe, a shisha box, two cult berets, five bottles of Squadron gin, a red knife, and a black glove.
DSP Olayinka said investigations are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the group, adding that the command’s Anti-Cultism Squad had already begun a discreet operation to dismantle the cult network operating in the area.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for his strategic leadership and continued support, which he said had strengthened the command’s anti-cultism efforts across the state.
Lawal assured residents of Ondo State that the command remains committed to maintaining peace and security, particularly within academic environments.
He also urged the public to provide timely and credible information to help the police in their fight against crime.