Ogun State Police command said it has arrested 40 suspects in connection with the unrest in Sagamu area of the state which left about eleven people dead on Thursday. The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Muyiwa Adejobi, while speaking with journalists yesterday, said the suspects were arrested in different parts of the state.

Adejobi, a Superintendent of Police, explained that the crises in Sagamu started when a cult group killed a goat of another group meant for celebration on Wednesday. He also explained that some traditional rulers in the town have been linked with the crises and would be arrested after concluding investigations on them.

The PPRO explained that the Command got information of a possible reprisal attack from outside the town and had to block the Benin/Sagamu expressway to prevent the attack.

He said, “On Wednesday, the cult group went and killed the rival group’s goat meant for celebration and they went angrily to attack them back.

“The command does not have the record of those killed, they are hurting themselves and they have their targets and at least to an extent we thank God they have not been killing innocent people. “But today we have information that some of them are from that community, they are been invited into Emuren community.

“We have allegation that some traditional chiefs are harbouring them, promoting them, we are going to spread the scope of our investigation to unravel this and if it is true, any community leader that is involved in promoting cultism will be dealt with and will face the wrath of the law.

“We have 12 suspects from that angle. In Emuren alone we have three suspects, they said one of them is a son to a Chief, we are still investigating. We have Faleke Sultan, in other community; we went on all round operation and have additional 12 just for today, making 17 suspects. In Emuren specifically, which is the conflict theatre, we have Ismail Ali, Sodiq Ibrahim (male), Ahmed Rafiu (male).

“We are working on them and we are going to subdue them, not only in this place, all together in the state now we have 40.”

•Excerpted from Nigerian Pilot.