Police Parade 46 Suspected Cultists, 5 Others in Edo

Following the wave of cult killings in Edo, the operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested 46 suspects for cult-related activities in Benin and its environs.

This was disclosed by the Edo Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chidi Nwanbuzor while briefing journalists during the parade of the suspects in Benin.

He said: “Going further, the operatives of Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Unit while fighting upsurge in killing of secret cult rivalries, about 18 suspects from different locations in Benin City were arrested and they all confessed to be members of secret cult confraternity.

“Also on July 13, the operatives of Anti-Cultism unit in collaboration with the Edo State Security Network actually moved into the city and arrested 28 male suspects who have confessed to being members of secret cult confraternity in different locations in the city.

“We are by this, appealing to every good citizen of Edo and the general public to remain calm and that the issue of cultism will be a thing of the past.

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

The Nigerian Tribune reported that two locally made single-barrel guns and phones were recovered from the suspects.

Meanwhile, the police in Edo have also arrested five members of fraud syndicate in Benin for allegedly defrauding a 21-year-old female student in Edo of N9.8 million.

The alleged syndicate members, according to Nwabuzor, were arrested between July 9 and 10 at different locations following an investigation into the victim’s complaint.

He explained that the story started when the young girl, who was a student of Ambrose Allí University, Ekpoma was accosted and hypnotised.

The police spokesman said the victim reportedly lost her senses when the syndicate members seized her phone.

“They seized her phone, asked her to demobilise the phone and they started withdrawing money to the tonne of N9.8 million.

“Today, it a good news that operatives of anti-kidnapping and cybercrime unit had arrested the five suspects from different locations in Benin City,” he said.

Speaking with the victim, whose name is protected for security reasons, said she was accosted at Uromi Market in Esan North East Local Government Area of the state, where she went to buy some items.

She said she lost her senses immediately she was touched by one of the syndicates and began to follow him.

The syndicate member, she said, took her to the other members where they promised to sell her diamond and clandestinely dispossessed her of the ATM card among others.

She said they got access to her two bank accounts and withdrew the sum of N9.8 million, which was the proceeds from the sales of her late father’s property.

Nigerian Tribune