The 81 Division Nigerian Army has said the two men who claimed to be soldiers arrested for alleged cultism by the Ogun State Police were not personnel of the Nigerian Army.

The Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division Nigerian Army, Lieut.-Col. Musa Yahaya, made this known in a statement.

Recall that last Saturday, the Ogun State Police Command said operatives from the Odeda Division, Aregbe Division, the Anti-Cultism Unit, and SWAT, led by SP Adejoh Israel, arrested two soldiers, a suspected armed cultist, and nineteen others during a midnight raid carried out at Hillton Hotel, Osiele, Abeokuta, in the Odeda Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, disclosed that the operation was targeted at suspected members of the Aiye confraternity who were reported to have gathered at the hotel.

Reacting to this, the Acting Deputy Director, Yahaya, disclosed that preliminary investigation revealed that one of them, Ex-Private Adeshola Lukuman, was a deserter who abandoned his place of duty since April 2023 while serving at the Army Central Ammunition Depot, Agunu in Kachia, Kaduna State.

He clarified that the second suspect falsely claimed to be a soldier, apparently in an attempt to evade arrest and gain undeserved leniency.

According to the statement, the Nigerian Army remains a disciplined organisation that has a zero-tolerance policy for cults and other illegal activities.

Part of the statement reads, “Participation in cult-related activities is strictly prohibited, and severe sanctions are imposed on any personnel found to be involved.

“We therefore urge the Nigerian Police, sister security agencies, and media organisations to verify and cross-check their facts with appropriate Nigerian Army authorities before rushing to the media on matters involving personnel of the Nigerian Army.

“We shall continue to collaborate with sister security agencies and state government agencies and their communities in the fight against cultism, drug abuse, and other forms of criminality. We won’t allow anything to threaten peace, stability, and legal economic activities in our area of responsibility,” the statement added.

Yahaya added that the misleading report does not reflect the true image of the Nigerian Army; hence, the public should disregard it.