Lagos police have nabbed a feared cultist kingpin after years of brutal reign and escape.
Olori Eso’s arrest ends a decade of bloodshed as families seek justice and answers.
In a major victory against violent crime, the Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of one of the most wanted criminals in the state, Wasiu Akinwande, popularly known as Olori Eso.
The suspect, a 44-year-old alleged cult leader and hired killer, was apprehended on Friday, June 20, 2025, during a carefully coordinated tactical operation code-named “Silence, Speed, and Surprise”. According to a statement from the command, operatives of its Tactical Squad tracked Akinwande to his hideout in Agbado, Ogun State, after years of evading capture.
Akinwande is believed to be the mastermind behind numerous violent crimes, including murders, armed robberies, kidnappings, and cult-related attacks that have plagued the Mushin area of Lagos and its surroundings for over a decade. Police describe him as one of the most dangerous criminals in the state’s recent history.
His reign of terror, which reportedly began in 2009, has inflicted trauma and fear across communities. Despite several previous arrests in 2011, 2016, and most recently in 2024 Akinwande had managed to regain freedom, with his gang even staging a fake funeral at one point to throw authorities off his trail.
During the latest operation, police recovered a significant cache of weapons from Akinwande’s Mushin residence, including:
- 2 AK-47 rifles
- 1 K2 assault rifle
- 1 Red Ryder rifle
- 3 pump-action rifles
- 2 locally made single-barrel pistols
- 5 magazines
- 57 live cartridges
- 70 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition
- 27 rounds of 9mm ammunition
- 1 expended 5.56mm round
- 1 dagger
- 3 walkie-talkies
- 9 international passports belonging to different individuals
“These items were freely admitted by the suspect to have been used in his killing operations alongside his gang,” the police said.
The Commissioner of Police has directed the Deputy Commissioner of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to lead a special team of crack detectives to expand the investigation and apprehend all individuals linked to the suspect. Already, four families have come forward to identify Akinwande as the man responsible for the murders of their children.
Akinwande remains in custody under heavy security. The police assured the public that he will be prosecuted and made to face the full weight of the law.
