SEVEN suspects recently paraded by the Lagos State Police Command as members of a cultist sect have alleged that they innocent and were only treated as such because they refused to pay policemen bribes.
Earlier this week, the seven persons said to be cultists terrorising the Ijora Badia area of Lagos State and its environs were arrested by the police and paraded before the cameras. However, some of the suspects identified as Nora Benson, 18; Monday Dennis, 21; James Francis, 31 and Jeremiah Okereke, 21, denied the allegations, claiming they were innocent of the charges.
According to Fatia Owoseni, the Lagos State police commissioner, the men were arrested to rid the state of cultists and cult-related activities which have claimed the lives of several innocent persons in recent times, in the state. However, one of the suspects, 18-year-old mother of one, Nora Benson, said she was attending a friend’s party when she was arrested.
Ms Benson added: “I live in Lekki but I used to work in Ikoyi before I fell sick and went for operation. My friend, Blessing, invited me to a party but she left with her boyfriend three hours before I was arrested at the venue and I don’t know the address of the place because I have not been there before.
“I thought I was going to spend less than an hour at the place and I was troubled when I didn’t see Blessing who invited me. I decided to find my way out of the party venue so that I can go back home before the vigilante got me.”
Another suspect, Monday Dennis also denied being a member of any gang, adding that the police refused to release them as they could not bribe them. He added that he and friends were drinking at about 10pm, when members of a vigilante group arrested them and took them to the police station.
“Some of us who had money have been released on bail while they transferred those that could not pay to. It is one Yetunde that informed the police that I am the gang leader but I am not a cultist, however, the policeman that interrogated me accused me of being stubborn, disrespectful and not giving him money but I cannot as I am a 29 year old cleaner in Ikoyi.”
