Five suspects nabbed during cult initiation in Lagos hotel

Policemen attached to the Tolu Division of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested five suspected cult members during initiation in the Ajegunle area of the state.

The suspects include Peter Odumola, 19, Promise Benjamin, 20, Emmanuel Ikechuckwu, 19, Richards Adu, 18, and Abdullahi Nasiru, 20.

It was gathered that the arrest followed a distress call received by the Divisional Police Officer, Tolu Division, that some suspected cultists were forcefully initiating a new member in a hotel in the area.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, said policemen arrested five suspects and rescued the new member that was being forcefully initiated.

He said,

“Operatives of the Tolu Division of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested five suspected cultists, Peter Odumola, 19, Promise Benjamin, 20, Emmanuel Ikechuckwu, 19, Richards Adu, 18, and Abdullahi Nasiru, 20.

“The suspects were arrested on Sunday, July 9, 2023, around 1am following receipt of a distress call concerning an ongoing forceful initiation happening in a hotel in the Ajegunle area of the state. The victim was successfully rescued and the suspects will be arraigned upon conclusion of investigations.”

Hundeyin said the state Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, charged residents to report any suspicious happenings in the localities to help expunge criminality in the state.

He added that the state frowned at cult activities and would not hesitate to lawfully punish anyone who belonged to any of such groups.

Police arrest two suspected cultists in Bauchi, recover firearm

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two suspected cultists, Ezikiel Obot and Mathew Toma, in Gwallameji Area of the state.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Ahmed Wakil, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, January 19, 2023, said a locally-made pistol with three cartridges were recovered from the suspects.

“On 08/01/2023 at about 1114hrs, credible information at the Command’s disposal revealed that suspected cultists were gathering around Licking Fingers Joint, Gwallameji Area of Bauchi state,” the statement read.

“Consequently, in a bid to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the area, a team of detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer, Yelwa Division promptly drafted and swung into action to the scene and succeeded in arresting two suspects, namely; Ezikiel Obot ‘m’ aged 22yrs of Sabon Tasha Kaduna State, and Mathew Toma ‘m’ aged 23yrs of Jos Plateau State.

“During a thorough search of the area, a black bag containing locally-made pistol with three cartridges was recovered. The investigation is discretely ongoing to explore all the intricacies connected with the suspect in the case.”

Suspected cultists behead youth leader in Akwa Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has launched investigation into the gruesome murder of Hezekiah Adaiden, the Youth President of Inen community in OrukAnam Local Government Area of the state.

Suspected cultists beheaded Adaiden last Sunday, December 18, 2022, when he was hosting a group of young men in his compound.

An eyewitness said the cultists dragged Adaiden to a corner, beat him to a coma and cut off his head.

The source said the hoodlums looted the house, beat up the wife and carted away valuables items.

“The cultists arrived in the compound at an odd hour in the night and since they were known by the youth president, he offered them drinks. While they were drinking around 1am, another group well armed arrived and was violent, as they dragged the victim to a corner and killed him,” the source said.

“The most annoying is that they beheaded him and escaped with his head after they tortured his wife and poured the soup which the woman cooked on her head, as they beat her mercilessly.”

Spokesperson of the command, Odiko Mcdon, in a statement on Wednesday, December 21, described the killing of the youth president as barbaric, adding that the perpetrators would be brought to book.

“There is an ongoing manhunt to arrest perpetrators of such crime,” he said.

Monarch’s son sends cultists to eliminate his father in Ogun

Six suspected members of Eiye cult group were on Sunday, September 11 arrested by men of Ogun state Police command while attempting to kill a traditional ruler in his palace.

A statement released by SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, spokesperson of the state police command, gave the names of the suspects as Michael Ayodele, Monday Samuel, Ademola Matthew, Hammed Jelili, Ogundele Ojeh and Sunkanmi Fadina.

He said the suspects were arrested following a distress call received at Oja odan divisional headquarters from the Oba of Gbokoto land, Oba G.O Olukunle, at about 4:25 pm, that some cultists were about to kill him in his palace.

”Upon the distress call, the DPO Oja- Odan division, quickly mobilized his men and moved to the palace, where they met the hoodlums shooting sporadically within the palace.

The policemen engaged them in shootout and eventually subdued the cultists and got six amongst them arrested.

On interrogation, the arrested suspects confessed been members of the dreaded Eiye confraternity.

They also informed the police that, it was the son of the Oba who is now at large that invited them to come and eliminate his father because of an unresolved issue the Oba has been having with his mother. ”Oyeyemi said.

The police spokesperson added that Items recovered from them include one locally made double barrel pistol, two live cartridges and one expended cartridge, while the son of the Oba who has taken to flight was said to have escaped with another gun belonging to the group.

He added that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to State Criminal Investigation Departments for discreet investigation with the view to charge them to court on the conclusion of the investigation.

The CP also ordered a massive manhunt for the fleeing son of the Oba in order to bring him to justice.

Delta community places curses on cultists and kidnappers

The people of Owa Kingdom in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, have placed a curse on kidnappers, cultists, other criminals perpetuating crimes in the community and entire Ika nation. The ceremony held on Saturday, August 6, followed the rising cases of cult killing and kinapping among other crimes in the area in recent times.

Asari Dokubo recruiting Ijaw youths, cultists, to fight against Biafra, IPOB alleges

The Proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused former Niger Delta militant leader, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, of recruiting misguided Ijaw youths, cultists and some Niger Delta militants to fight against the actualization of Biafra.

In a statement issued by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful on Monday evening, the Igbo separatist group said Dokubo and some politicians who were againsts the group were “colluding with the Fulani security forces, the Presidency, evil politicians, including some governors in the South East region, to cause chaos and anarchy in Biafraland.”

IPOB also warned that the move by Dokubo and his co-conspirators “will be smoked out from his abode in Cotonou, Benin Republic, where he has been hiding.”

IPOB intelligence unit has uncovered plan about how Asari is moving around coastal areas of Biafra land recruiting cultists and demented fellows to join the wicked Nigeria security forces, evil politicians including some governors in the South East Region to attack people and blame it on IPOB and ESN operatives,” part of the statement made available to Ripples Nigeria reads in part.

“The public should know about this wicked plot in the coastal areas of Biafra by few enemies of Biafra restoration.

“They should never take us for granted. Biafrans living in both coastal area and hinterland are all part of our great nation.

“They must understand that Asari and his few traitors are trying to create confusion between Igbo Biafra and Izon (Ijaw) Biafra but we are waiting for his recruited boys.

“He should not think that we are cowards. Let him venture and see what we are capable of doing.

“Asari Dokubo has sealed his contract with the Nigeria Government and some South-East politicians in recruiting Ijaw youths to fight Biafra agitators in Biafra hinterland precisely IPOB and ESN operatives.

“IPOB has uncovered two camps Asari Dokubo opened in Bayelsa and Igweocha for the purpose of training the recruits.

“Some of the youths that were approached refused the offer, while some accepted the proposed monthly salary of 150,000 Naira.

Dokubo and his co travellers’ plan is to merge the Ijaw militant youths with Nigeria military and JTF.

“The new recruits will be provided with military uniforms and will be made to work with other security operatives to kill those agitating for the restoration of Biafra.

“We should not hesitate to officially notify the public and Biafrans through this press release especially PANDEF, Ijaw Youth Council, Elders and traditional rulers of Izon Kingdom and Ohaneze Ndigbo leaders, including all other tribal leaders across coastal land of Biafra, to call Asari Dokubo to order because we are ready for them at any time they may come.”

Parents of convicted cultists will be punished – Governor Sanwo-Olu

Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said the parents of children convicted for cultism will also face punitive measures.

Sanwo-Olu stated this while addressing pupils and students on Thursday during the Children’s Day celebration at the Police College, Ikeja.

According to the governor, a new law had been signed to fight cultism, adding that parents must be alive to their responsibilities by paying attention to the moral upbringing of their children.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said, “The new law against cultism prescribes punitive measures for parents of young people convicted of cultism. Parents should be vigilant and monitor their children.”

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said, “The new law against cultism prescribes punitive measures for parents of young people convicted of cultism. Parents should be vigilant and monitor their children.”

“We owe them a duty to ensure that their dreams and aspirations are realised through continuous training, guidance and mentoring”

In her speech, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, said the state government, through its free education policy from primary to secondary school level, had continued to commit huge resources to the upbringing of the children.

Sad: How Frank Ochuko was brutally killed on Saturday by suspected cultists

According to a news that was posted by Tribune Online this morning, it has been alleged that four suspected cultists have brutally killed a student, minutes after he left his lecturer’s office along with his girlfriend.

According to the information that was given, it was made known that on Saturday afternoon, the deceased student, whose name was given as Frank Ochuko, and a student of the Delta State Polytechnic in Asaba, Delta State capital and his girlfriend who is also a student of the same institution both went to settle an issue with one of his lecturers, inside their school compound but, while they were returning from the lecturer’s office, four men who are suspected to be cultists waylaid them and dragged Frank inside bush.

However, when this happened, his girlfriend who was not taken by the assailants ran to the nearest police to report and when the policemen came to the scene, Frank was already unconscious, as they used axe to cut his head several times before leaving him and escaping. When police operatives took him to the hospital, the doctor confirmed him dead on arrival.

Cultists invade MTN office in Bayelsa, kill customer

Suspected armed cult members have invaded the commercial office of a telecom giant, MTN, along DSP Alamieyeseigha Way in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, killing a customer alleged to be a rival cult member.

The murdered customer, identified as Victor Abasi, aged 28, is said to be an indigene of Ogu town in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

It was learnt that the deceased was placed on the wanted list by the members of the rival cult group, Greenlanders, over his alleged involvement in a bloody clash in Swali area of the state capital early in the year.

An eyewitness, who spoke in confidence, said the deceased had almost finished with his documentation on SIM card validation at the MTN office when the cultists invaded the office and chased after him.

The source said: “We noticed armed boys invade the MTN office and we took to our heels. The deceased jumped out and scaled the fence. But the cultists went after him and descended on him with different dangerous weapons.

“We later learnt that the deceased was a suspected member of a group known as Bobos.”

The killing of Victor Abasi has snowballed into a gun battle between the Greenlanders and Bobos in Amarata, Ekeki, Swali, and other areas of Yenagoa metropolis.
A resident of Imgbi Road, who pleaded anonymity, claimed that armed Bobos invaded the area on Monday night in search of rival groups.

The source said: “They said some cult groups killed their ‘senior man’ and they are out to retaliate.”

Recall that rival cult groups at Tombia and Amarata areas had in the last few days engaged in bloody clashes over revenue collection, rivalry and the battle for supremacy.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Command, Asinim Butswat, said the incident had not been reported to the police.

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