The Ondo State Police Command has achieved a major peace breakthrough in Ondo town, the headquarters of Ondo West Local Government Area, as several repentant cultists voluntarily surrendered their weapons to the police.

Ondo town had, in recent months, recorded violent clashes among rival cult groups in a series of supremacy battles that left casualties in their wake.

The latest truce, driven by a disarmament initiative launched by the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, forms part of broader efforts to curb violent crime and restore stability in communities long troubled by cult-related attacks.

The command’s spokesman, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Akure, said the initiative reflects the police command’s proactive strategy to rid the state of miscreants and reinforce public safety.

Ayanlade revealed that some of the individuals who surrendered had been on the police watchlist for their roles in previous violent clashes, including incidents that claimed at least eight lives in Ondo city.

“The police will intensify efforts to encourage others still in hiding to surrender,” he said.

He explained that the intervention brought two long-feuding factions together for reconciliation, with both groups agreeing to end years of hostility and embrace peaceful coexistence.

According to him, several repentant members expressed relief at exiting the cult lifestyle, admitting that fear of arrest had forced many to flee the state until the disarmament initiative provided a safe and supervised path for their return.

During the exercise, the police recovered 17 arms and 12 rounds of ammunition, including locally fabricated weapons and Beretta pistols – representing a significant step toward reducing the circulation of illegal firearms in the area.

Ayanlade said CP Lawal commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Ekimogun youths, and the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Adesimbo Kiladejo, for their support in facilitating the disarmament process.

He urged others still In hiding to surrender, warning that those who continue to engage in criminal activities would be tracked down and prosecuted.

The police spokesman added that CP Lawal, alongside senior officers and members of the Ondo Ekimogun Youths under the “End Miscreants in Ondo” initiative, personally supervised the arms surrender.

He said all repentant individuals will be enrolled in counselling and mentorship programmes as part of their rehabilitation, reaffirming that anyone who renounces cultism, surrenders arms, and demonstrates good conduct will be reintegrated into society.

The command reiterated its commitment to strengthening community engagement and sustaining people-oriented policing to ensure lasting peace and security across Ondo state. (The Nation)