Cult crisis: Ogun Govt Lifts Curfew on Sagamu as State Lawmakers ask DSS to Release Colleague

The Ogun State government has lifted the curfew imposed on Sagamu town following deadly clashes between rival cult groups last month.

According to a statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, the improved security situation across the troubled town, informed the decision to lift the curfew.

The SSG said normalcy has returned to the town while security agents continue with investigations into the remote and immediate causes of the cult clashes, adding that Governor Dapo Abiodun is committed to ridding the state of all forms of violence.

Talabi urged the people of Sagamu to go about their daily activities without fear as adequate security remains on the ground in spite of the lifting of the curfew.

The restriction of human and vehicular movement between 7pm to 6am was imposed last month as an immediate response to the cult clashes.

Meanwhile, members of the Ogun State House of Assembly on Thursday demanded the immediate release of Muhammed Bello, member representating Sagamu 1 State Constituency by the Department of State Security (DSS).

The DSS last month arrested the PDP lawmaker over the cult crisis on his Sagamu constituency.

The DSS however released a member of All Progressives Congress and the local government chairman few days after their release while it held on to the PDP lawmaker .

The Assembly resolution, during a crucial plenary session presided over by Speaker Olakunle Oluomo at the Assembly Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, was spearheaded by the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff, and seconded by the Minority Leader, Lukman Adeleye.

Their call for the release of Bello garnered unanimous support from fellow lawmakers through a voice vote.

Central to their argument was the assertion that the security agency’s investigation could proceed without the prolonged incarceration of the lawmaker.

Members emphasized the importance of upholding Bello’s constitutional duty to represent his constituency and ensuring that his constituents do not suffer from a lack of representation.

The lawmakers pointed out that the allegations against Bello were bailable offenses, urging the DSS to consider granting him administrative bail.

This, they argued, would allow him to continue serving his constituents during the ongoing investigation, rather than languishing in custody for an extended period, which could potentially undermine the principles of democratic representation.