MY GANG KILLED 15 PERSONS, SUSPECTED CULTIST CONFESSED

A 23-year-old suspected member of the Aiye Confraternity, Kazeem Tiamiyu, says his gang has killed no fewer than 15 persons in Ogun State since he joined in 2012.

He spoke on Monday while being paraded by the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, at the command’s headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.

He, however, added that he personally took part in “just five” murders since he joined the group.

Tiamiyu, aka Butcher, said the murder he took part in happened during reprisals on members of a rival group, the Eiye Confraternity.

Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the suspect was arrested on Oreagba Street, Ondo Road, in the Ijebu Ode area on Sunday, January 3, 2016, sequel to the command’s anti-cultism fight and investigation into various murder cases in the area.

The suspect, who also confessed that he had sold several guns to cult members in Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu Igbo, and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, added that he also had buyers from Lagos.

He said, “I have participated in five operations, and they were against the Eiye Confraternity. In those five operations, five persons were killed. I joined the cult in 2012.”

Tiamiyu added that he dropped out of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic when his parents stopped funding his education after they discovered that he was a cult member.

It was gathered that Tiamiyu’s arrest led to the arrest of a trans-border arms dealer, Taiwo Adekun.

Adekun was arrested along with his stepdaughter, Sofia Opeifa, on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, in Ijebu Ode, when they came to supply arms to Tiamiyu.

The two suspects were paraded alongside Tiamiyu.

Adekun, who explained that he travelled to Ijebu Ode from the Ifonyintedo area of Republic of Benin, also confessed to have supplied no fewer than 42 guns and one AK-47 rifles to cults and other criminal gangs in Ogun and Lagos states.

Adekun, who claimed to be a blacksmith, said he was not the manufacturer of the guns, but got them each time customers demanded them.

He said, “I am not the producer, I only supply the guns. This is my forth time of supplying guns to Tiamiyu. I sell the single-barrelled guns for N10,000, while the double-barrelled is sold for N20,000 each.

“I never knew they were cultists, I supply them guns because they told me the guns were used for security jobs in filling stations.”

Also paraded was one Nosa Unity, a driver of a truck with number plate, AFZ 525 XA, loaded with stolen petroleum product totalling 10,000 litres.

Adejobi said Tiyamiyu was arrested with four single-barrelled short guns, one double-barrelled cut-to-size gun, one single-barrelled cut-to-size gun, seven rounds of live catridges, expended cartridges and charms.

The state police spokesman said, “From investigations conducted, the Aiye Confraternity has been responsible for cult-related killings and some armed robbery in the Ijebu area.

“The Commissioner of Police has continued to say the police have zero tolerance for cultism and will continue to make life unbearable for the perpetrators.

“This is a warning to criminals in Ogun State; in their own interest, they should leave the state. We are still after other fleeing members of the group.

“Adekun and Opeifa were arrested in the Ijagun area of Ijebu Ode while trying to supply guns to Tiamiyu. The suspects were responsible for supplying guns to cult and criminal gangs in Ogun and Lagos.”

He added that the suspects were arrested with five locally-made short single-barrelled and five double- barrelled short guns.

Adejobi said Unity was arrested at the Ibafo area of the state.

He said, “The vandals, who contacted him, fled on sighting the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. The suspects will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.”