Lagos Police and Rewriting the War against Cultism By Adebisi Adams Oyeshakin
In Lagos, the spectre of cultism has long cast a shadow over vibrant streets, school compounds and neighbourhoods. Rival clashes erupt without warning. Teenagers and young adults are drawn into cycles of vengeance. Families live with a quiet, persistent fear.
Over recent months in 2025, however, residents have begun to notice a shift. Under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Olohundare Jimoh, the Lagos State Police Command has recalibrated its approach. What is emerging is a more deliberate blend of enforcement, intelligence and community partnership—one that seeks not only to suppress violence but to disrupt the social networks that sustain it.
The Nigeria Police Force has consistently identified cultism as a major security threat in Lagos, often linking it to the proliferation of illicit firearms, violent robberies and youth unrest. Previous police leaderships emphasised proactive patrols and hotspot surveillance to deter attacks. Yet the persistence of inter-gang reprisals underscored the limits of reactive policing.
CP Jimoh’s strategy has taken a more systemic turn. In mid-2025, the Command established specialised Anti-Cultism Squads across all Area Commands. These units focus on surveillance, rapid response to distress calls and targeted operational raids, while also working closely with local communities to dismantle cult networks at their roots.
The logic is simple but significant: cultism is rarely spontaneous. It is organised, embedded in peer groups, and often reinforced by a sense of identity and belonging among youths. Recognising this, the Command began to rely heavily on intelligence gathering and street-level reporting.
In July 2025, ahead of the annual “7:7 Cultism Day”—widely regarded as a flashpoint for inter-gang reprisals—coordinated raids in Mushin led to the arrest of 52 suspected cultists. Police credited credible community intelligence for the operation’s success.
The effect was immediate. Heightened patrols and swift arrests helped prevent the kind of escalation that has marred previous years. Residents reported a visible sense of reassurance, as the police presence signalled that violence would not go unchecked. It marked a notable shift from reactive intervention to anticipatory policing.
Complementing this enforcement drive is the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), a national initiative aimed at curbing youth involvement through advocacy, school engagement and community reorientation. In Lagos, this framework has been woven into the Command’s broader strategy, targeting the social pipeline that feeds recruitment into cult groups.
While tactical units pursue armed actors and criminal networks, POCACOV-style interventions address early exposure, peer pressure and the normalisation of cult culture. Dialogue with students, parents, educators and community leaders is designed to reshape attitudes before crime takes root.
Read Also:
Despite these gains, the challenge remains formidable. In October 2025, a rival cult clash in parts of Badagry claimed lives before tactical teams intervened. Five suspects were arrested, and firearms and ammunition were recovered—grim reminders that violent groups still retain the capacity to inflict harm.
The incident drew legislative attention. In June 2025, lawmakers in the Lagos State House of Assembly summoned the Commissioner of Police and other security officials to present concrete plans for curbing cultism, particularly in schools and youth-dense communities. The call underscored a growing consensus: enforcement alone cannot solve a problem so deeply intertwined with social conditions.
Community voices echo this sentiment. In areas such as Ayobo and Isolo, residents have praised police action against known cult members, yet they also stress that lasting reductions in violence require sustained grassroots engagement. Respectful, trust-based community policing, they argue, is as vital as tactical raids.
To that end, the Command has strengthened its channels for public participation. Dedicated phone lines across all Area Commands now allow residents to report suspicious activities quickly, lowering barriers between communities and law enforcement. Anti-Cultism Squads increasingly depend on this flow of credible information to act with precision.
Still, critics maintain that broader social issues—unemployment, school dropout rates and youth alienation—continue to feed the problem. Security experts and civil society groups advocate multi-sector programmes involving families, schools, youth organisations and religious institutions to provide alternatives for young people seeking identity and belonging in violent networks.
The police leadership appears attuned to these realities. CP Jimoh has repeatedly warned youths against joining cult groups and called on parents and guardians to play a more active role in prevention. Early in 2025, he disclosed that more than 50 suspected cultists were facing prosecution, framing enforcement as part of a wider crime prevention strategy anchored in both consequence and caution.
This dual approach—firm policing paired with public engagement—signals a more balanced path forward. Surveillance, tactical readiness and prosecution reinforce the rule of law, while education, advocacy and community reporting distribute the burden of prevention across society.
The evolving fight against cultism in Lagos reflects a command that is learning and adapting. Raids and arrests send a message of accountability. Legislative scrutiny, community partnerships and youth-focused interventions point to a deeper understanding that sustainable peace cannot be imposed by force alone.
Lagos remains a complex urban landscape where economic pressures, social aspirations and youthful vulnerability intersect. Addressing cultism here demands more than presence and power; it requires collaboration, opportunity and social support systems that offer young people a future beyond violent affiliations.
CP Jimoh’s strategy suggests that when enforcement is aligned with community engagement and systemic prevention, policing stands a better chance of making lasting impact. The gains recorded so far hint at a model that is not only about control, but about partnership—and, ultimately, stability.
Adebisi Adams Oyeshakin, a PRNigeria Fellow, writes via: [email protected]
