By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
The ranks of suspected cultists have been depleted in Delta State, with no fewer than 31 members nabbed by police operatives at the weekend.
As learnt, the suspects were apprehended in two separate operations carried out by the dogged cops in the bid by the CP Ari Mohammed Ali-led Police Command to rid the state of cultists.
It was gathered that 10 out of the suspects were nabbed when a combined team comprising of Raiders Squad, operatives from GRA Division and Area Command Asaba, led by the Area Crime officer, SP Kufre Udofia, stormed the hideout somewhere in Mile 5, a boundary between Oshimili North and Oshimili South LGA.
They were said to be planning to attack innocent citizens in the area.
Our correspondent gathered that one fabricated AK47 rifle, charms, fake Vigilante ID card, and AC&DC black ice confraternity regalias were recovered from the suspects.
The others, according to report were at an initiation ceremony at Zion Road, Ibusa by police detectives led by the DPO Ibusa Police Station.
The police public relations officer DSP Bright Edafe confirmed both incidents in a release made available to journalists on Thursday.
” On 11/7/2022, the Area Commander Asaba, received intelligence on some suspected cultists hibernating somewhere in Mile 5, a boundary between Oshimili North and Oshimili South LGA and planning to attack innocent citizens in the area. The Area Commander alerted the Commissioner of Police, CP Ari Muhammed Ali, who ordered a massive raid in the area.
” A combined team comprising of Raiders Squad, operatives from GRA Division and Area Command Asaba, led by the Area Crime officer, SP Kufre Udofia, stormed the hideout and arrested ten (10) suspects, recovered one fabricated AK47 rifle, charms, fake Vigilante ID card, and AC&DC black ice confraternity regalias. Investigation
is ongoing.
” On 10/7/2022 at about 0130hrs, The DPO Ibusa Police Station got information that men of Black Axe Confraternity, also known as ‘AYES’ , were having their initiation ceremony at Zion Road Ibusa.
” The Commissioner of Police directed a joint team of State Anti-Cult (SACU), Ibusa Division, and local vigilantes who swung into action, raided their hideout, arrested twenty-five male suspects, recovered three Aye confraternity regalias, one military vest, a pair of aye confraternity stockings, three cut-to-size locally made guns, four live cartridges, a gallon of substances suspected to be liquid hard drugs, four vehicles, and four motorcycles Investigation is on going”.
