The Osun State Police Command has arrested a total of 10 suspects in two separate operations across Modakeke and the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, in connection with attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearms, and cult-related activities. The arrests, disclosed by the command on Thursday, form part of ongoing efforts to clamp down on violent crime across the state.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, the first set of arrests took place in Modakeke, Ife East Local Government Area, where four suspects were apprehended over alleged conspiracy, attempted murder, assault occasioning harm, and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms. Police operatives moved in on the suspects at about 2 a.m. on August 9, 2026, acting on a petition earlier submitted to the Commissioner of Police detailing the alleged offences.
The suspects arrested in the Modakeke operation were identified as Olufemi Olatunji, 39; Ajayi Idowu, 31; Akingbala Oluwakemi, 40; and Adekunle Basirat, 40. Ojelabi said that searches conducted at the suspects’ residences and business premises led to the recovery of two firearms, a locally made cut-to-size gun retrieved from Basirat’s shop and a pump-action firearm recovered from Oluwakemi’s residence.
Six More Arrested Over Osun Poly Iree Cult Invasion
In a separate but related development, operatives attached to the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit arrested six additional suspects following intelligence reports of an armed invasion of the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree campus by suspected cult members. The alleged invasion reportedly resulted in injuries to two students during the attack.
Police identified the six suspects as Ajoba Akorede, 27; Adam Oseni, 27; Ogunrinde Ayomide, 21; Ogunlana Muheez, 26; Ajose Noah, 25; and Adeniyi Damola, 25. During interrogation, two of the suspects; Akorede and Oseni, reportedly confessed to being members of the Aye confraternity, a cult group linked to years of unrest around the polytechnic community. However, the command noted that it had yet to independently verify whether the suspects were actual students of the institution.
Ongoing Investigations
Ojelabi confirmed that investigations into both the Modakeke and Osun Poly Iree cases remain active, with police efforts intensifying to track down other individuals allegedly connected to the incidents who remain at large. He assured that all suspects currently in custody would be arraigned in court once investigations are concluded.
The latest arrests add to a string of recent security operations carried out by the Osun State Police Command targeting cultism, armed violence, and attempted killings across the state. In recent months, the command has recorded multiple similar operations in and around Iree town, long flagged as a cultism hotspot due to its proximity to the polytechnic campus, including previous arrests linked to the Eiye and Buccaneers confraternities.
The renewed crackdown comes amid heightened security concerns in Osun State, particularly with the state’s August 15, 2026, governorship election drawing closer. Security analysts have repeatedly warned that cult-related violence and political thuggery tend to spike around election periods, prompting increased vigilance from law enforcement agencies across affected local governments.
Residents of Modakeke and the Iree community have continued to express concern over recurring cult clashes and firearm-related incidents in the area, with calls growing for sustained security presence around tertiary institutions particularly vulnerable to cult recruitment and violence.
As the investigation continues, the Osun State Police Command has urged members of the public with useful information to come forward, reiterating its commitment to ridding the affected communities of cultism and violent crime ahead of the state’s forthcoming elections.
