Police operatives in Delta state have disrupted what they believe was a cult initiation ceremony unfolding in a forest near Orogun, in Ughelli North Local Government Area. The Quick Response Squad moved in on Sunday, July 19, 2026, acting on intelligence about Black Axe Confraternity members gathering in the area.
When officers arrived at the scene, suspected cultists opened fire on them. The police returned fire with superior tactical force, sending the suspects fleeing into nearby forests along the Abbi-Abraka border.
Police recovered one pump-action rifle and one shortened double-barrel shotgun abandoned at the site. They also found seven live cartridges, two spent cartridges, seven vehicles, six mobile phones, and suspected cult ceremonial clothing.
SP Bright Edafe, the Delta state police spokesman, confirmed the details in a statement to journalists in Warri. He said the operation was intelligence-driven and designed to disrupt the gathering.
"On sighting the operatives, the suspected cultists opened fire, but were repelled by the superior tactical response of the police, forcing them to flee into the adjoining forest," Edafe told reporters.
All recovered items remain in police custody as investigators work to track down those who fled the scene. Edafe noted that officers are still pursuing leads to make arrests.
Delta's Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi John Oyeniyi, praised the Quick Response Squad for executing the operation effectively. He stressed that intelligence-led policing would remain central to the command's strategy against cultism and violent crime.
Oyeniyi called on residents to keep feeding police with reliable information about criminal activities in their communities. He said public cooperation was vital to keeping Delta state secure from such threats.
The operation marks another success in the police command's ongoing battle against organised crime in the state. Authorities remain committed to dismantling cult networks that fuel violence across the region.
