TELL Magazine

Forty-six suspected cultists allegedly responsible for the various cult killings in Edo State in recent times have been apprehended by operatives of the state Police Command.

Also arrested were five members of a fraud syndicate who allegedly defrauded a female student of the Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma, of the sum of ₦9.8 million.

Recall that in the past few weeks, there had been a resurgence in cult-related killings in the state as rival groups eliminated one another in a most gruesome manner.

Parading the suspects on Friday, the command’s spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, said they were arrested between July 9 and 10 at various locations in the state, and that they have confessed to belonging to various secret cult confraternities involved in the recent killings in the state.

Nwabuzor said the 46 suspected cultists were arrested by the operatives of the anti-kidnapping and Cyber Crime unit of the command in collaboration with the local vigilante while fighting an upsurge in cult killings and rivalry in the state.

According to him, “There was an upsurge in the cult fight and killing among rival cult groups in the state, and operatives of the Anti- kidnapping, and Cyber unit investigating the cult fight arrested 18 suspects on July 10; and on July 13, 28 other cultists were also arrested”

He said the suspects were arrested at Okhoro, Medical Stores Road, New Benin, Ugbowo, among other areas in Benin City.

Nwabuzor said, “The CP of Edo, Mohammed Dankwara, has said that Edo people must have their peace and tranquility that Edo people are known for, and he is here to fight criminals that are terrorizing the city and killing themselves”.

Speaking on the suspected fraudsters, he said “The story started when the young girl, who is a student of Ambrose Allí University, Ekpoma, was accosted and hypnotised by the suspects. She reportedly lost her senses; they seized her phone and asked her to demobilise the phone and they started withdrawing money from her account to the tune of ₦9.8 million”.