The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two men, whose names they wouldn’t disclose yet, for allegedly initiating primary school pupils into a deadly cult gang in Lagos state known as ‘the Awawa Boys’.
The police said they rescued 12 children, whose ages ranged from six to 16 years, including a 16-year-old girl, from the cult gang.
The rescued children are currently undergoing psychology tutorial at the command’s Gender Unit.
The police said it was a Guardian and Counselling teacher at the Egan Community School in Lagos who uncovered the cultists’ initiation ceremony plan. The school comprises both primary and secondary levels.
The teacher was said to have noticed a particular incision on the lower jaw of some of the students and decided to ask questions about it, to which one of the children confessed that any school pupil or student seen with the mark was a member of the Awawa cult group.
Consequent upon the discovery, the teacher raised an alarm and the school authorities reported the matter to the police.
The state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, said that acting on the report, he directed the Gender Section of the Command to investigate the allegation of initiation into an unlawful society affecting 12 children whose ages ranged from 8 to 16 years, the 16-year-old girl being the oldest and only female among them.
Edgal said that during interrogation, the girl confessed that she did take the rest of the children for initiation, and that the symbol on their jaws was that of the Awawa Boys.
“Two adult suspects behind the initiation are already in police custody and are helping police investigation. Investigation is ongoing with a view to arresting other members of the Awawa group for prosecution,” the police boss added.
