Tag Archives: Cultists

Army kills 5 ‘cultists’ in Rivers community where policemen were murdered

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Troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army on Wednesday shot dead five suspected cultists during a gun battle in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers state.

Mohammed Alkali, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), and his orderly were beheaded in the community during the legislative rerun election in the state.

Kasimu Abdulkarim, general officer commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Port Harcourt, confirmed the killings of the suspects, saying the battle was part of ‘Operation Cleanup’ of cultists and militants “terrorizing” residents.

Abdulkarim said this year, troops have recovered five AK 47 assault rifles from cultists in the area.

“Army 6 Division has recorded appreciable successes in its bid to rid the local government of cultists and brigands,” Abdulkarim added.

Quoting sources, NAN said troops stormed the area after receiving distress call over the cultists’ activities.

A witness said the suspects invaded Omoku town on Tuesday night and shot dead two unidentified young men before making attempt to escape.

“After killing the men, they shot sporadically before soldiers closed in on them”, a witness said.

‘Cultist Policeman’ arrested for killing police inspector.

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The Cross River State police command has disclosed that it has arrested a policeman, Corporal Kingsley Iyeke, over the alleged killing of his colleague, Inspector Edet Archibong, during a gun duel between the police and suspected cultists in Calabar.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, made the announcement in Calabar yesterday when he briefed journalists on the feat recorded so far by the police.

The commissioner said Iyeke was arrested following a tip-off after some secret cult members mentioned him as one of their member.

He said the cult members who mentioned the policeman were arrested in their hideout after they had been traced by the police.

The commissioner said during interrogation, one of the suspected cultists mentioned Iyeke as their member “and that he was the one that shot the police inspector during the clash”.

Continuing, the commissioner said: “Majority of the suspects have been arrested. Our front line interrogation shows that one of our personnel, Corporal Kingsley Iyeke, was one of the cultists.

“After interrogating one of the arrested cultists, he confessed that Iyeke was their member and that he was the one that shot the inspector.

“During our trial, we found out that truly he was their member. We have dismissed him and he will face the full wrath of the law.”

Responding to questions from journalists, Iyeke, 35, from Rivers, attached to the Marine Police base in Calabar, denied being a member of any cult group.

He said he was only a victim of set-up by the cult members who wanted him out of their way at all cost.

The commissioner also disclosed that it rescued a 16-year-old SS3 students of St Banabas Nusery, Primary and Secondary school, Doramola, Ibadan, Oyo State.

He said the student, Kinsley Akom, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on the November 7 and taken to Calabar by his abductors where he was rescued.

Ozi-Obeh said the boy was kidnapped on his way to school in Ibadan and abandoned by his captors along Bible College Way, State Housing Estate, Calabar.

Ozi-Obeh said the victim boarded a taxi to school and all of a sudden, he became unconscious only to find himself in a container van where he met other children numbering more than fifteen with their legs and hands tied.

The Commissioner said Agom is in stable condition and that his parents have been contacted over his rescue.

He said discreet investigations are ongoing by the Anti- Kidnapping section of the criminal investigations and intelligence department, state headquarters, Calabar to unravel the mystery.

Four Awawa Boys Arrested In Dopemu axis of Agege.

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The Dopemu Division of the Lagos State Police Command has arrested four cultists suspected to be members of the Awawa Boys terrorizing the Agege community. The suspects; Sherif Nahim, Platelet Ismail, Jamiu Amusa and Abel Babatunde, were arrested by the anti-crime operatives in a building on Abeje Street, Agege.

 

According to Police, the suspects were apprehended following a distress call that some suspected cultists belonging to the Awawa group were on rampage along Kadiri area of Agege. The source added that the suspects were arrested wielding dangerous weapons while some of them also sustained various injuries.

 

Commenting on the arrest, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmus, said “the Commissioner of Police has directed that the suspects be transferred to SARS and be given medical care while discreet investigation should be done to also apprehend fleeing suspects.”

 

Speaking further, she said “the suspects will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation. The Commissioner had warned hoodlums to keep away from the State as the command would no longer tolerate any act of impunity and recklessness under any guise including cultism.”

Rivers: Suspected cultists kill two, behead their bodies.

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One Christian Siraawo and Temple Oko have been killed with their heads taken away by suspected cultists in Kono community, Khana local government area of Rivers state.

The two men were attacked at their their homes late Sunday by armed-bearing cultists who shot them and beheaded the two bodies.

The suspected cultists also inflicted major injuries on two others; Thompson Oko and Patason.

The Rivers State Police Command has already confirmed the killing of the two youths in Kono, as the Police Public Relations Officer DSP Nnamdi Omoni said that the police has commenced investigation on the killing.

 

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The police spokesman also clarified that no arrest has yet been made.

According to him, “We are aware of the incident. We have started gathering information. Though no arrests has been made but be sure investigation has started.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Khana local government area, Baridah Nsaanee, has called on security agencies to unravel those behind the gruesome killing.

Cultism, Kidnapping no Longer Tolerated in Lagos – Ambode

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The Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday said the menace of cultism and kidnapping currently sending jitters down the spine of many Lagos residents will no longer be tolerated in the state.

Ambode who said this while commissioning the newly constructed Omo Alade Alafia and Oloruntoyin/Jebina Streets in Bariga Local Council Development Area, charged community leaders in all the 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Area to report known cultists, kidnappers and other criminals in their domains.

The governor emphasized that exposing the criminals remained the only effective means of curbing crimes in the state.

Ambode added that apart from aggressively embarking on infrastructural renewal across the state, his administration would also do everything possible to protect lives and property.

He said the state government was determined to make the state uncomfortable for the cultists, kidnappers and other criminals.

The governor, who was represented by a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Rotimi Abiru and a community leader, Mr. Raphael Olusegun Ajayi, said that timely report of kidnapping, cultism, vandalism and hoodlums will help in dealing with criminal activities in the state.

The governor said: “I enjoin our royal fathers, traditional chiefs, Community Development Associations, market men and women and other stakeholders in our various communities to address the menace of cultism, kidnapping, miscreants, vandalism and hoodlums by providing timely information to our security agencies.”

Ambode who urged the community leaders to take ownership of the facilities, said that plans were afoot to embark on another round of 114 roads project in all the councils in the state.

According to the governor, it was illegal for anyone to sell on the road or engage in unauthorised breaking of roads, adding that it was also forbidden for anyone to convert the roads to automobile workshop, as well as refuse dump site.

Rivers State Government grants amnesty to cultists

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An amnesty programme has been set up by the Rivers State government for cultists in the state to surrender their arms and turn a new leaf.

This comes as recent battles for supremacy among suspected cult groups in the communities have resulted into many deaths and destruction of property with thousands fleeing their homes.

Although, some of the youths have said that they were freedom fighters and not cultists, the state government has offered them an opportunity to start afresh.

The Egi clan of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area in Rivers State has been in the eye of the storm and there also seems to be progress in the ongoing peace moves.

Traditional leaders and representatives of government have held a peace session which involved other members of the communities.

The meeting also involved the youths who have been the active players in the violence.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has also inaugurated the amnesty committee with the belief that accepting the amnesty must go beyond mere words.

The government has given 60 days to the committee to wrap up its exercise.

Wike Inaugurates Amnesty Programme Committee For Cultists

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Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike friday inaugurated the State Amnesty Programme and reiterated his warning that the state would not pay for arms surrendered by cultists and militants.

 The governor said the inauguration of the committee was a major move to restore peace across all communities in the state.

The committee has as members, representatives of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Amnesty, Sir Ken Chinda was appointed chairman.

In his inauguration speech, Wike charged the committee to interface with different cult groups for the purpose of retrieving arms from them.

The governor also charged the committee to work out modalities for ensuring the proper integration of cultists and militants who willingly subscribe to the amnesty programme.

He warned the committee members against promising repentant cultists and militants that the state government would pay for arms surrendered in the course of the programme.

He declared: “Anyone who has surrendered his arms and has followed through the process laid out for the amnesty will be pardoned. Such a person will not be prosecuted.

“This committee has 60 days to complete its assignment. After the 60 days, any cultist or militant who fails to subscribe to the amnesty programme will face the full weight of the law.”

The governor reiterated that the amnesty programme was not politically motivated, pointing out that it was designed to promote the security of all communities in the state.

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UNILAG Final-Year Student Shot By Suspected Cultists

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Unknown gunmen on Wednesday shot a final-year student of the Economics Education department, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

 

The student, simply identified as Bayo was reportedly shot around 8:46pm on Wednesday in front Biobaku Hostel near the school gate. The perpetrators were said to have escaped in a tinted-glass car.

 

Some sources confirmed that the gunman were from a rival cult group, who came for a reprisal attack. According to eyewitnesses, the victim displayed alertness to avoid being shot dead. A student, who craved anonymity, said the attackers aimed for the victim’s head, but hit his neck. Bayo has since been transferred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) from the schools’ medical centre.

 

“Although it was not clear whether he (Bayo) is a member of any cult group, but one of his course mates, who was at the scene said there was a rift between cult groups who are not students but come around to have fun,” he said.

 

He said Bayo engaged in a discussion he had no business in. Bayo’s action, according to him, infuriated the aggrieved group, who had come for their target.

 

“Some residents of the hall have been embroiled in fear of further attacks as they said some suspected cultists are hell bent on attacking more of their targets who are non-student residents in the hall,” a student said.

 

UNILAG Vice-Chancellor Prof Rahamon Bello, said the university was investigating the incident.

 

“I heard about it and we suspect it was cultism-related. We are fighting it. The security unit and the police are investigating. The boy survived. He was rushed to LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital). The cultists went for his head, luckily the bullet only scrapped his head,” he said.

‘We Were Tricked Into Cultism Through Birthday Parties’ – Cult Suspects

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Eight suspected cultists have told detectives attached to Area J Police Command, not to blame them for becoming cult members. According to them, they were tricked into becoming cult members.

They explained that when they discovered they had been tricked and initiated against their will, they thought of running away, but realised it was like running away from ones shadow. They urged young Nigerians, to be wary of friends and avoid accepting birthday parties’ invitations.

One of them said: “If you don’t go for operation or cooperate with them after initiation, they would kill you. I can tell you that every one of us here, were tricked into becoming a cult member. It was
never our wish.” The suspects were arrested after they allegedly started shooting sporadically on July 16, 2016, at Ilaje, Ajah, around 7pm.

A police source said: “They went about on two motorbikes, snatching money from people and shooting sporadically.” Six of them were arrested, Ayobami Ahmed 20, Balogun Ahmed 22, Olayinka Agbeto 35, Kunle Odeyemi 29 and Lekan Adekoya 26.

When they were taken to police station, police discovered they and four other suspected cult members, Sylvester Bibra 34, aka Gardafi, Dare 27, aka Shokey and Michael Ojintan 20, earlier arrested, knew one another. They all belonged to the same Aiye confraternity.

Police are presently hunting for Ogbowon, Dammy, Segun Okondo, Lekan, Ijooba, Jungle, Bariga, Biggy, Idris, Jelili, Corner Stone, Lawal and others. It was also discovered that some of these cultists, are part of those that had been terrorising Ikota Community.

Remembering how he was tricked and initiated, Ahmed said: “I belonged to Aiye confraternity. I was initiated at Ibadan. I was initiated by my brother, Kehinde. He invited me to a birthday party. Moreover, I liked the way Kehinde used to behave. But I didn’t tell him that I wanted to become a cult member.”

Bibra said he was initiated by a friend. He recounted: “A friend of mine invited me to a birthday party. On the day of the party, I met him at Ajah Roundabout. He made a call and a commercial bus, filled with men, came to pick us. I thought they too were going to the party.

After driving for a while, one of them suddenly brought out a black band and blindfolded me. I was scared. I thought they wanted to kill me. The bus drove off again. I started crying and begging them not to kill me. They ordered me to shut up. They said if I cried, made a noise or beg, they would shoot me.

They took me somewhere, pulled off my clothes and started beating me. They later bundled me back into the bus.

“When they removed the blindfold from my eyes, they told me I had become a member of Aiye confraternity. I was angry with my friend. I didn’t ask for it. Why did he do that to me? I didn’t want to participate in any of their operation, but I was told I would be killed if I refused.”

Ojintan said that for reasons he couldn’t understand, members of the gang started picking on him. They would swoop on him and take anything of value with him. It was through that gimmick, they collected five phones from him.

The phones were collected at different times. One day, one of his persecutors, invited him for a birthday party.

He turned down the invitation. Ojintan recollected: “He told me that if I didn’t come to the birthday party, they would continue to collect my phones. I decided to go with him. At Ajah Roundabout, they blindfolded me with a black band.

When the vehicle stopped, they dragged me down, pulled off my clothes and started beating me. They told me that they were making me their member. When I got home, I couldn’t tell my father, but I told my boss. He told me to be careful. I tried to avoid those friends. I was still avoiding them when police came to arrest me. I have never gone on any of their killings or operations with them.”

Agbeto on the other hand, denied being a member of any cult. He said he is married and has two kids.

Source: New Telegraph

Cultists Kill 11 In Ogun To Mark Anniversary

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No fewer than 11 persons have been killed by suspected cult members in Igode and Fakale communities in the Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Four persons were also injured while houses and cars were vandalized in the attack that lasted for about 10 hours.

It was learnt that the hoodlums, said to be Aye Confraternity members, had gone on the rampage at about 11am on Wednesday to commemorate their anniversary tagged 7/7.

The grand finale of the anniversary was reportedly held on Thursday, July 7, 2016 at Emuren, a neighbouring community.

It was gathered that the hoodlums, numbering about 25 on motorcycles, came from Emuren, wielding guns and cutlasses.

Their targets were said to be members of the Eiye Confraternity, a rival cult. The bandits, who reportedly wore masks, shot dead three welders at a junction bordering Emuren and Igode.

The welders were said to be returning from a work site on a motorcycle.

The rampaging miscreants reportedly proceeded to the Fakale community, where they opened fire on a crowd watching a football match in a viewing centre, killing seven persons.

It was learnt that one of the deceased, identified simply as Dare, was a member of the Oodua People’s Congress.

Others were identified as Ibukun, Ismaila, Sunday, and a steel rod seller, Dare Olakanmi.

Three of them were said to have been buried.

However, the police had yet to remove the remains of the three welders as of 12pm on Thursday.

Four others, who were injured, were said to have been taken to a hospital in Sagamu.

Credit: Punch

BIZARRE: Cultists Behead Students, Use Heads As Goalposts

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Suspected cultists on Saturday night beheaded two undergraduates of the Abia State University, Uturu, and thereafter used their heads as goalposts.

Reporters learnt that their roommate sustained severe injuries from machete cuts by the hoodlums.

The deceased identified as Ebuka Nwaigbo, a 300 level student of the Department of Estate Management, and Samuel Ethelbert, 300 level student of the Department of Political Science, were until their death living at Chi-Doo Lodge along the Uturu-Afikpo road.

Investigations by reporters revealed that their killers were members of a rival cult group on a revenge mission for one of their members killed last month.

A source, who craved anonymity, said the cult groups – Burkinafaso and Mafia – had engaged each other in a battle of supremacy for years in the university.

He said, “Last month, one Collins Agwu, a member of Burkinafaso, was gunned down by the Mafia.

“His colleagues (Burkinafaso) decided to retaliate by killing members of the Mafia.

“That night they came to the lodge on four motorbikes carrying four persons each and they forced themselves in when one of the students living there came out to buy Indomie Noodles.

“They beheaded their targets while the third person, their visitor, was seriously wounded.

“After killing them they carried their heads and bodies in a sack bag and took it to a playground where they (cult boys) normally play football near the school gate and mounted their heads as goalposts.”

When reporters visited the university community, top officers of the school were said to be having a crucial meeting.

Spokesman for the institution Acho Elendu said the school would make comments after the meeting.

Meanwhile, there has been a heavy police presence at the school since the incident occurred.

The Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, Ezekiel Onyeke Udeviotu, who confirmed the development, said the state Commissioner of Police Joshiak Habilah had ordered the Criminal Investigation Department to commence investigation into the murder of the students.

He said, “We are willing to invite any member of the public with any useful information that could lead to the arrest of criminals to our office if such a person is afraid of giving the information to police officers.”

Credit: Punch

Police Nabs 12 Suspected Cultists For Beheading Man

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Twelve men, who have been on the wanted lists of the Police for allegedly beheading one Afeez Obokwu in May this year, have been arrested by officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti Yaba.

It was learned that Obokwu’s headless body was recovered on  the highway at Oyingbo railway while the severed head was recovered by the Police  at the Otto Ilogbo, Ebute Meta area.

The suspects arrested by the Police on tip off by members of the public include  Kazeem Ajani, Suliamon Bello, Idowu Morawo, Abiodun Adeleke,Taiwo Jayesimi, Aberdeen Sanjowa,Abubakar Umaru, Ogunlade Dayo, Sodiq Olalere, Lekan Ajayi, Jamiu Wahaab and Kudus Olatunde.

While describing the suspects as serial killers, the Police said some of the suspects were earlier arrested and charged to court but were released.

From investigation, the suspects belong to two rival cult groups called the Otto Boys with allegiance to the  Eiye cult and the Apapa Boys with allegiance to the Aiye cult  with their base at the Ebute-Meta area of the state.

The suspects in their confessional statements to the Police revealed that they had participated in various killings across the state.

Narrating how they beheaded their victim, one of the suspects, Taiwo said his gang members killed four persons in a supremacy fight and beheaded one of their victims, Afeez Obokwu .

“My name is Taiwo but  popularly called Figo. Sometimes in May, there was a crisis between the Otto Boys and the Apapa Boys. I belong to the Otto Boys. The leader of our gang is called Dangbe.

“On that particular day , our gang killed four rival cult members of the Apapa Road gang. We went to Apapa Road and engaged them in a shootout where we killed four of the Apapa Road cultists,” he said.

Taiwo Jayesimi  listed those killed to include Akin, Fatia, Afeez Obokwu and Eleto, adding that they used cutlass to behead Obokwu. “The Apapa boys also killed some of our boys namely Abeeb, Tunde, Gani and Baba Benti. It was a gang war of supremacy between our gang and the Apapa Road Boys,” he said.

Credit: Vanguard

Police Arrest 252 Cultists In Delta

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Commissioner of police in-charge of Delta State, Alkali Baba Usman said over 252 cultists have been arrested since the beginning of this year and majority of them have been prosecuted and convicted.

 

Aside the incessant criminal activities of cultists in major areas of the state, the commissioner of police is also saddled with the onerous task of checkmating the nefarious activities of not just other criminals but, the recent uprising amongst some agitators for the creation of sovereign state of Biafra.
From all indications, he has lived up to expectations and is poised for an onslaught against all forms of crime and criminality in the state.

 

Speaking in Asaba, he said, “we have taken the war against cultism to their camps. We have had diligent clamp down on cults in different locations.”
In Oghara, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad raided cult hide outs and arrested 48 members. At Agbor, another cult hot-bed, about 9 cultists were arraigned recently and are facing the wrath of the law. At Jesse, about 13 members of Sparrows Junior Eye, SJE, were arraigned in July, 2015.

More so, at Ibusa, cult members engaged a SARS team, threw stones at their Hilux van and damaged the back and front windscreen. At the end, two of them were nabbed. As a follow up, the command monitored and arrested 33 male and 2 female members of Supreme Vikings confraternity also at Ibusa. At Okwe, we nabbed 9 suspected Aiye 1977 A.S,H. Dodorima cultists during their meeting.
On the whole, over 252 cultists have been arrested since the beginning of this year and majority of them have been prosecuted and convicted. We also succeeded in dealing with several cult-related killings. For instance, last September at Obiaruku, one Ife Akachukwu, 21, was shot by rival cultists while another unidentified boy was found dead after sporadic gunshots by rival cultists groups.
At the same Obiaruku, one Albert Onukaba, 28, was killed by suspected cultists. The three incidents showed that rival cultists were on a vengeance mission.

At Kwale, the story is the same. One Ifinwa Analuwe, 20 was stabbed to death by suspected rival cultists while in another incident, the acting chairman of Uvwie LGA, Chief Stella Otiotio was attacked by armed irate Uwvie youths suspected to be cultists when she ran into them while collecting illegal tolls and levies from unsuspecting members of the public. In addition, we arrested six suspected Aiye cultists in Warri,” he said.
“We will not relent in our fight against cultism. In this regard, we appreciate the cooperation of well-meaning individuals and stakeholders in the state for quality information which has helped in stemming cult tide in the state. I would also appreciate security agencies and the local community vigilante groups for their various efforts at curtailing cultism and other violent crimes in the state.”
“I must add that the motivation and encouragement from the IGP and AIG Zone 5 cannot be overemphasized. Of particular note is the interactive session on Police Community Partnership in crime Prevention and Control for Credible Youths held recently in Asaba by the AIG Zone 5,” he said.

 

 

Credit : Vanguard

Police Arrests 38 Suspected Cultists During Initiation Ceremony

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The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos police has arrested 38 suspected cultists who were in the middle of an initiation ceremony at the Somolu area of the state.

The suspects, made up of 29 males and nine females, were in the process of feting themselves when they were arrested based on a tip off.

The arrest was said to be in line with the Safest Lagos campaign, initiated by the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, which was kicked off to ensure  maximum security of lives and properties within the metropolis.

Reports gathered that the RRS team had been deployed to the area following some distress calls from the residents of the area.

The suspects, who were said to have been engaged in  criminal activities and other unlawful engagements were arrested by the RRS team led by one Supol Olabode Aroge.

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