The Oyo State Police Command has said a man seen being arrested in a viral video in Ibadan was suspected of involvement in cult-related activities.
The command also said members of the public could report any officer’s conduct they believed deviated from established procedures.
The command made the statement on Saturday in a reply on X to a user, @de_shinor, who shared the video and made claims about the operations of an anti-cultism formation in the Apete area of the city.
“The individual seen being apprehended was suspected of involvement in cult-related activities and was arrested by operatives of the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit,” the command said.
It said the video appeared to have been recorded by a passerby.
“Regarding the video in question, it appears to have been recorded by a passerby who may not have been aware of the circumstances surrounding the arrest,” the command said.
The command added that the audio in the footage reflected the uncertainty around the incident.
“The background audio itself reflects the uncertainty surrounding the incident, as someone can be heard asking what the individual had done,” it said.
In his post, the user said the arrest took place at Danax, close to Adamasingba, in Ibadan. He said, “This is Danax very close to Adamasingba and this police squad are popularly known as Anti Squad Mangarawa.”
The user also said he had a previous encounter with the squad. “I was once a victim (2018) + I witness this exact modus operandi this week on Thursday,” he wrote.
He further claimed that officers of the unit frequent Apete. “They come to apete at least twice a week,” he wrote.
Responding to the claim, the command said its operations in the area were intelligence-driven.
“Given the significant student population and concerns about cult-related activities in parts of Apete, the Command considers proactive policing necessary to prevent crime and protect lives and property,” the command said.
On the name used by the user for the squad, the command said it was not an official designation.
“For clarification, there is no police squad officially known as the Anti-Squad Mangarawa in the Oyo State Police Command. The formation located in the Magara area is the Anti-Cultism Unit, which is responsible for combating cultism and other related vices,” it said.
The command said it took concerns about police conduct seriously and invited the public to report specific cases.
“Members of the public are encouraged to contact the Command whenever they have specific information about an operation or believe that an officer’s conduct may have deviated from established procedures and rules of engagement. Such concerns will be given the necessary attention,” it said.
It added that its commitment was to “protect law-abiding residents, prevent crime, and ensure that all police operations are conducted professionally and in accordance with the law.”
The command thanked the user for raising the matter. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” it said.