Bullets
Some of the suspects. Photo: RRS

A suspected cult leader, Andrew Awalebi, has told operatives of the Rapid Response 
Squad of the Lagos State Police Command that no amount of bullets can pierce 
through his body.
Awalebi, a suspected member of the Eiye Confraternity, reportedly told the police 
that a charm he got from an herbalist made him to be invincible to bullets.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the 35-year-old suspect was arrested on Friday at a pub
 in Jakande Estate in the Ajah area of Lagos State.

Our correspondent gathered that the RRS operatives had got information 
on Awalebi’s movements from a member of the gang, Michael Thompson, who had
 earlier been arrested for robbery.He was said to be in company with three other
 suspected members of his gang when the police swooped on them around 8am.
 Awalebi, in his statement to the police, allegedly said he worked for a popular
 landowner in the Lekki area, adding that he earned N40,000 monthly for securing
 the landed property of his boss.
He explained that his protective charm against gunshots was prepared for him by 
an herbalist in the Ijebu-Isiwo area of Ogun State, adding that the charm was to
 save him from gunshots of land grabbers in Lekki.
“I was initiated into the Eiye Confraternity in 1996 by one Banji. Later in 1997, I was 
promoted as its topmost leader after the death of Banji.
“We were eight members in the cult group. We meet very early in the morning or late
 at night. I was arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad sometime ago when my
 cult group caused mayhem in Jakande Estate, inflicting injuries on passersby in the 
area,” he added.
The indigene of Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State, was reportedly given
 out by Thompson of the same cult, who was arrested for robbery at the National
 Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
Thompson, in his confessional statement, had allegedly said Awalebi was the leader 
of the group.
Also arrested alongside Awalebi were Koffi Kwame (17), Daniel Olayiwola (36) and
 Tosin Issac (26).
The police claimed that the suspects all confessed to being members of the Eiye
 Confraternity.
 The RRS said information from the suspects led to a raid on a hotel in the Ikorodu 
area on Saturday, where it made another set of arrests of suspected members of
 the group, which included Adegoke Adeleke and Kehinde Adebogun.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Dolapo Badmos, who 
confirmed the arrests, appealed to  parents and guardians to help the police fight cultism.
She said, “Parents should help the police to tackle cultism by properly monitoring the
 activities of their children. They should also report to the nearest police station if they
 suspect any unwholesome attitude of any friend of their children. This will help thepolice 
 to nip cultism in the bud.”
Badmos said the suspects had been transferred to the Lagos State Department of
 Criminal Investigation for  prosecution.