I Regret Joining Deadly Aiye Cult  – Suspect

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

A 24-year old suspected member of a secret cult known as Aiye Confraternity arrested by the police, Odita Harrison,has narrated how he was forcefully initiated into the secret cult group in Lagos State.

Delta State-born Harrison, a father of two children, said that since he joined the group, he had not known peace.
Narrating how he was linked, Harrison said a friend of his invited him to a party at Mile 2 area of Lagos, but unknown to him, it was organised by members of the Confraternity.

He said midway into the party he was forcefully taken to a place where he was told he must join the cult or they would kill him. Initially, he claimed to have attempted to resist but was beaten mercilessly. When it became glaring that they would kill him and throw him away, he said he succumbed and accepted.
After the initiation, he was warned not to tell anybody what transpired and made to make financial contribution and attend meetings regularly where they marshal out plans to execute their agenda.
He revealed that most of their meetings were held in hotels owned by a member or controlled by the member.

He said it was during one of their meetings held at Alaba Market, Lagos that a team of police officers raided and arrested him and other members.
Harrison was arrested along with three other members of the group in a hotel- namely Aboyemi Atoba, 29, Sunday Famose, 26 and the manager of the hotel, Uche Anozie, 35.
They confessed that they are members of the group and denied they were having meeting when they were arrested.
The suspects were arrested and paraded by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni.
The police boss said their arrest was the efforts of the police to get rid of cultism and criminality in the state by the police.

He said that the police got information that the group was using the hotel as their hideout where they hold meeting regularly to perpetrate crimes in the state.

He said a team of police was dispatched to the hotel and the suspects were arrested and some of them escaped.
He warned those who belong to any secret cult to repent or police will fish them out, arrested and prosecuted.
He thanked the members of the public for providing adequate information to the police which has made it possible to reduce crime in the State.

Harrison said he is married but did not tell his wife what happened or revealed to her that he was a member of a cult group.
He said he was bitter as a member of the cult group, but he had no choice than to stay in the group because of the threat to kill him should he attempt to renounce his membership.