By Tola Gbadamosi
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There are indications that community efforts in partnering with security agencies to fight crime are yielding positive results, as no fewer than 1,322 members of a cult group known as ‘Aye Confraternity’,’ were arrested, while they renounced their membership in Akure, Ondo state capital.

The Hope Metro investigations revealed that the cultists were recently apprehended by the joint efforts of Akure community youths , named Akure Defenders,’ and the police.

It would be recalled that the Akure  Defenders, made up of Akure youths,  was founded  by the Deji of  Akure,  Oba  Ogunlade  Aladetoyinbo,  in 2017 to assist  the police in reducing crime in the community.

“The cultists were reportedly arrested  in various parts of the town and taken to the Deji’s Palace to swear and renounce their memberships, after which they were later handed over to the police at different  times  within the last two years.

“Speaking with The Hope Metro on Thursday,  Mr Adesanya Fayehun, aka Ade Basket, a member of the Akure Defender group, disclosed that the cultists were apprehended through the collaboration between their members and the police.

His words, “Exactly three weeks ago, some people were informed that cultists would  be invading certain parts of Akure.

“And immediately we were notified, we contacted the Area Commander about it because we can’t nab anyone without the police backing.

 “The cultists started from Arakale Car park at about 11pm. They were all in yellow T-shirt inscribed with Banana, Gun and human head logo, while their hair was tinted with  yellow colour.

“On the second day, we got the hint that they were at a concert at MKO Abiola park. So, we asked the police team to wait at  a location as we moved in to where we picked them one after the other.

“On the third day, we were able to pick 16 cultists and handed them over to the police immediately. But so far, we have been able to hand over 1,322 cultists, since we started this group.

Fayehun explained that it is natural and easy for crooks to smell a policeman from  a distance, but very difficult  for them to smell  Area boys.

He said, “This is  one of the reasons we are  collaborating with the police in clearing crime out of the state.

“There is rarely a month without reported incidents of cult related violent clashes in our community, which usually results in the loss of lives of individuals. The incident that happened on the December 24, 2018 was one of them.

“During the time of CP Hilda Ibefuro Harrison, the immediate past Commissioner of Police in the state, her method was to assign SP Sukanmi with us.

“We understood him, likewise him self. At any time we were  going out to raid criminal’s den,  he knew steps to take that  usually give us rapid operational success of curbing cultists’ activities in the state.

Fayehun revealed that these cultists are majorly behind several kidnappings, armed robbery and murder cases in the state.

“We found out their regular spot, which is an Hotel along Fasonrati road, close to Flagship motel along Agbogbo filling station.”

The Hope Metro observef that recently, when the Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG, Southwest zone, DIG Agboola Oshodi,  paid homageto the palace of The Deji of Akure land, he noted that in the fight against hoodlums in the state,  the people and the community should try to look inward, rather than relying on the police at all  times.

In the same vein, the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo,  called for a collaboration between Police and the youths in the state, saying, ”we need to be proactive. We need the youths and the police to have a relationship in other to totally eradicate miscreant in our society today.

The monarch suggested that there should be a unit created to enable the youth report happenings for adequate record keeping.

Fayehun, therefore, called on the state government  to provide soft loans for  the former  cultists to enable them start their  own businesses.

The members of  the Akure Defender group include: Adesanya Fayehun aka Ade Basket, Tuyi Adekanbi aka olori Odo, Kayode Ajayi aka Ekun, Ajayi Olorunlogbon aka olorungbon, Faleye Oluwadare a k a Aperi,Gbenle Kikiowo aka KK. Kunle

Ojo aka Atiku, and Deji Oladunjoye a k a Asiki.