No fewer than 120 youths on Wednesday renounced membership of different cult groups and surrendered their weapons on Wednesday at Imota in Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

The renunciation by the cultists followed recent violent clash between rival cult gangs which claimed three lives in the area.

Addressing the repented cultists, Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgar said their voluntary renuncement would be accompanied by vocational training to enable them acquire new skills.

Edgal said the police would obtain data of all the repented cultists so as to monitor their activities for the safety of lives and property in the area.

The CP urged community leaders to partner with the police and other security agencies to sensitise other cultists to renounce their membership and surrender their arms.

The paramount ruler of Imota, Oba Ajibade Agoro, urged youths in the community to renounce cultism and embrace peace, adding that without peace there can not be development.

The monarch said he would use traditional ancestral means to make the repented cultists swear an oath not to return to cultism.

“People can not be living in fear and contribute immesely to the development of the community,” said the royal father.

Lawmaker representing Ikorodu 2 Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Nurudeen Solaja said the renouncement was a welcome development.

Solaja said he would join hands with other atakeholders to ensure that the repented cultists were re-integrated back into the community.

“We will train those cultists who willingly renounced their membership to become better individuals.

“Most of these cultists are artisans who don’t have an idea of how or what cultism is all about; we want to make sure that peace returns to Imota community which is my constituency,” Solaja said.

Chairman, Imota Local Council Development Area, Wasiu Agoro said the council would continue to sensitise the community on the need to maintain peace for development of the area.