A suspected member of Buccaneer Confraternity has revealed that his fellow cultists kidnapped him for purposes of initiating him into the cult group.
The suspect, 20-year-old Damilola Adeyemi, who was paraded at Lagos State police command, Ikeja alongside four others, said: “I was kidnapped and initiated by some of the members of Buccaneer cult group in 2011 in Lagos.
‘’They had been asking me ever since I gained admission to join them but I refused as I come from a Christian home and my mother is very prayerful. I was kidnapped at Ebute-Metta and taken for their initiation which looked like a normal night party.
‘’On that day, drinks were shared and I was told that as soon as I took the drink, I was initiated and part of them. I am done with my ND at Lagos State Polytechnic, Annex where I studied Business Administration.
‘’I work as an Office Assistant on Victoria Island. I was arrested very early in the morning when the police found Ibrahim’s locally made gun in my room after I denied him in their presence. We do not kill people. I am not proud of my actions.
’My advice to other people is that they should be far from things like this and report to the authorities when they are threatened to join any cult group. I was not kidnapped for ransom or for killing.’’
Other suspects paraded alongside Damilola Adeyemi were Wasiu Olayola, Ibrahim Oyelakin and Abiola Alfred.
While parading the suspected cultists, the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the cultists, who were arrested last Tuesday, were responsible for fuelling fights and having clashes with other cultists in the area.
Confession
25-year-old Wasiu Olayola recounted his exploits as a cultist: “I belong to Eiye confraternity while my colleagues belong to Buccaneer Confraternity. They are my friends as we all reside on the same street on the Lagos Island.
‘’Last Tuesday, at about 6 am, Ibrahim, who is my junior mate in the cult, called me on phone that he has a locally made gun that he wants to sell. I reprimanded him and told him that he should not involve himself in such any more.
‘’He told me to come and meet him. On my way to meeting him, the police arrested me. I was arrested at exactly 6:30 am. I am already a graduate and I do not belong to a cult group anymore. I used to be a cultist in Yabatech where I studied Marketing but I am not one of them again. I graduated in 2014. My mother is late and my father remarried before she even died.”
In his defence, another suspect, Ibrahim Oyelakin, said: “I was arrested because of gun issue. I gave Damilola a gun to keep for me. I was fighting someone. I am a Buccaneer cultist. I am a cultist from Lagos State Polytechnic where I am in ND 2 studying Computer Science.
My parents do not know that I am a cultist. I joined cult in 2012. When I was initiated, I just bought drinks for our Oga and others in school. We do not kill people in our cult.
We just fight with someone or other cults. We defend our members when fight issues come up and it is a thing of pride to be a cultist as no one can intimidate you in school and even outside. I did not gain anything as a cultist.
It is a bad thing. I wanted to leave before I was arrested. I now know that cultism isn’t good. I advise others still engaged in it to leave cultism.”
