By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti

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There was palpable tension at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State as officials of the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Ekiti State Command engaged in gun battle with  some suspected cult members.

During the  operation which lasted for about twenty minutes at Omisanjana area of the town, two suspected cult members sustained serious injury and were later rushed to a government health facility in the town by the NSCDC officials.

Also, the NSCDC arrested two persons; a boy and a girl who were said to be members of a  notable suspected cult group known as Eye Confratanity.

The Ekiti State NSCDC boss, Mr John Kayode, said the arrested  suspects identified as Oluwafemi Tiwatope, 23 and Bola Olorunfemi, had exchange serious gun battle with the operatives of the CTU of the Command before they were arrested.

He said during the operation, the suspected cult members had kidnapped a 32–year-old girl in the area, while the matter was reported to the NSCDC office by a good Samaritan in the street.

“The development called for an immediate deployment of the CTU to the area. The suspected cult group, on sighting the CTU operatives started shooting, which called for a repel from the Unit’s operatives and in the process, two cult members  were hit by bullets.

The commandant explained that the suspects and others at large had conspired and kidnapped the 32-year-old victim, but he was subsequently rescued during the operation.

He disclosed that during interrogations shortly after their arrest, the suspects confessed to be members of Eye Confraternity, terrorising  Omisanjana and Matthew Street in Ado Ekiti.

The NSCDC said the suspects have also confessed to have  launched several attacks on innocent people, kidnapping, raping and duping them before the long hands of the CTU  of the Command caught up with them.

According to him, “before the arrest, the Unit  has been inundated with complaints from that axis, that some groups of cultist were operating daily around the area which called for an immediate investigation by the CTU  to curtail the activities of these cultist groups”