The police yesterday demolished six shrines at Agbowa, a Lagos suburb.
They arrested James Adedeji, owner of one of the shrines in whose premises a couple were said to have been rescued.
Acting Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal, who led reporters to the shrines yesterday, said their demolition was part of efforts to clampdown on ritualists and fraudsters, who establish such places for criminal purposes.
Edgal said the police received intelligence report of illegality at the demolished shrines, adding that they had the backing of all the traditional rulers in the district to pull them down.
Edgal said the police discovered that most of the people who had gone missing or fallen victim to ‘one-chance’ buses usually ended up at shrines in that axis, where some are murdered or fleeced.
He said: “We had the backing of all the traditional rulers in Ikorodu to demolish individually owned shrines that are used to perpetrate crime. Some of those shrines are used for ritual purposes. Others were established by fraudsters with the intent to commit crime.
“So, these six we have demolished were identified as a result of the police and community partnership. We received information from members of the community and we carried out our own findings too.
“I can tell you that as of Tuesday night, when we were still surveying the places, a husband and wife were rescued in one of the shrines. They fell victim and they had been told they would be killed. They were very grateful when the police came to their aid.
“We have arrested an owner. I use this opportunity to appeal to the public to have confidence in the police. They should provide us with valuable information that would lead to the rounding up of all those criminals.
"I want to still assure them that under my watch, their confidentiality is guaranteed. No one would know information came from them. Just as we have gotten these ones, we will get all others and rid Lagos of such criminals.”
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