Police declare war on cultism in Edo, arrest 124 suspects

By Usman Aliyu

Operatives of the Police Command in Edo have arrested 124 people for allegedly involving in cult fighting and killings in the state.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Muhammed Dankwara, made the disclosure at a news briefing on Thursday in Benin.

Dankwara said that the arrest followed the command’s efforts toward putting an end to secret cult activities and killings in the state.

Dankwara said that seven persons were killed in the recent renewed cult fight in the state.

“Recall that there was an upsurge in secret cult activities and killings in the state.

“There, some faceless cultists had clandestine meetings in hotels, apartments, lounges, houses and drinking joints of different locations in the city and discussed on how to attack and kill their perceived rival secret cult members.

“The command has arrested 124 suspects in our fight against cult fighting and killings; 97 of these suspects were charged to court and 13 suspects were released after profiling,” he said.

Dankwara noted that 14 other suspects were still under investigation to unravel some noticed and discovered things during profiling.

The arrests, he said, were made by the command’s Anti-Cultism, Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime unit, in collaboration with Edo State Security Network.

The police commissioner warned state actors, non-state actors and sponsors of the various secret cult confraternities giving money, hotels, apartments, lounges, houses, drinking joints or any other dwelling place as support for clandestine meetings to withdraw their patronages.

According to him, anyone found guilty will be arrested and prosecuted, while such property will be sealed through the instrumentality of the law.

(NAN)