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Tag: Cultist

  • Cultists kill council vice-chairman in Rivers

    Cultists kill council vice-chairman in Rivers

    Suspected cultists on Saturday killed the Vice-Chairman of Obelle Council of Chiefs in Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State, Ferdinand Dabiri.

    The attackers said to be suspected members of the dreaded Iceland cult group stormed a location where Dabiri and other chiefs were rounding off a meeting and shot him dead.

    A leader of the assassination identified simply as Cairo was said to have alighted from a motorbike with a gun, bypassed other chiefs and shot his target twice.

    The son of the deceased, Joseph Dabiri, confirmed the incident in Port Harcourt while his brother added that the incident had been reported to the Rumuji Police Division

    Joseph said: “I heard that a guy came with a gun while my father was in a meeting at Omuwoka village in Obelle, and shot at him.

    “Then somebody grabbed him (gunman) but he struggled and freed himself from the man’s grip and shot my dad again twice and fled.”

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the incident, saying investigation was ongoing.

    She said: “I can confirm the incident. From the situation report I got one ‘Cairo’ went to the Obelle community and shot somebody while they were holding a meeting.

    “The command has commenced investigation into the matter to ensure the perpetrators will be identified and made to face justice. The deceased’s body has been deposited in the morgue”.

  • Suspected cultist dies in aftermath of cult clash in Lagos

    Suspected cultist dies in aftermath of cult clash in Lagos

    A 25-year-old suspected cultist has lost his life to cult clashes in the Ajegunle part of Lagos, police spokesman in Lagos State, SP Benjamin Hundeyin said on Saturday.

    He told NAN that police had arrested two suspects in connection with the clashes.

    Hundeyin explained that police received a distress call on Friday that suspected cultists of Nasamu and Iyalode Streets at Ajegunle were engaging themselves in a free-for-all.

    He said the suspected cultists damaged six commercial vehicles at Boundary Roundabout, Ajegunle during the clashes.

    “Based on the report, teams of policemen mobilised to the scene and dislodged the suspects, many of who fled the scene.

    “Police operatives, however, combed the area and arrested two of the hoodlums in their hideouts.

    “One other suspect, a 25-year-old, who was seriously injured during the clash, was rescued and rushed to the hospital where he later died,’’ Hundeyin said.

    He assured that normalcy had been restored to the affected areas, while foot and vehicular patrols had been deployed to forestall any further threat to law and order.

    Hundeyin said investigation was on-going, while efforts were on to arrest the fleeing cultists.

  • Police arrest suspected cultist with pistol in Fadeyi

    Police arrest suspected cultist with pistol in Fadeyi

    The Police Command in Lagos State has arrested a suspected cult leader, whose gang attempted to forcefully take over a tricycle (Keke Maruwa) park in Fadeyi area.

    SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrest to NAN on Thursday in Lagos.

    Hundeyin said that the suspect was arrested on Wednesday by operatives attached to Onipanu Police Division,

    He said that the police received information that six suspected cult members were harrassing commercial tricycle operators  at the Keke Maruwa park at Fayedi area.

    ”The suspects armed with dangerous weapons, including guns, cutlasses, axe, disrupted the activities of the park and also tried to attack the chairman of the said park.

    ”On receipt of the information, a team of anti-crime operatives immediately went to the scene, and one Seun Olatunbosu, 29 years old, was arrested with one locally made pistol and two live cartridges while others escaped”.

    The command’s spokesperson said that during investigation, the suspect confessed to being a member of the Black Axe confraternity.

    ”Efforts are on to arrest other members of the gang,” Hundeyin said.

  • Police nab cultist, a suspected killer of DPO in Rivers

    Police nab cultist, a suspected killer of DPO in Rivers

    Police in Bayelsa have nabbed one of the suspected killers of SP Bako Angbashim, former Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada Division in Rivers.

    The police spokesman in Bayelsa, CSP Asinim Butswat, stated on Saturday that the suspect, Onyekachi Ikowa (43), the second-in-command to TuBaba, leader of the dreaded “Icelander’’ cult group in Rivers, was arrested on Nov. 18.

    “Based on intelligence report that Ikowa was hibernating in Yenagoa after the callous murder of Late SP Angbashim in September, Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa, Mr Francis Iduh, charged that he be fished out.

    “The suspect has been handed over to the police in Rivers for further investigation,’’ Butswat stated.

  • Again, cultists resume clashes in Sagamu

    Again, cultists resume clashes in Sagamu

    Cultists again went for eachother’s jugular in Sagamu, Ogun state few months after two dreaded cult groups clashed killing and injuring many.

    Recall that about 20 persons were killed in September when members of the Eiye and Aiye confraternities clashed.

    No fewer than three innocent school boys were caught up in the crisis as they were shot dead by unknown cultists.

    The police and the Department of State Services had, in collaboration with the Ogun State Government, taken measures to put an end to the killings.
    However, the cultists reportedly resumed killing on Friday by shooting two persons dead in the Latawa area of Sagamu.

    Residents of the town told newsmen that they “heard gunshot in the early hours of Saturday.”

    Contacted, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, confirmed that there was a suspected murder incident in Sagamu.

    According to her, the command “received a report of a suspected murder in Sagamu.”

    Odutola quoted the Sagamu Divisional Police Officer as saying that while he and his men were on a vehicular patrol along Ewusi Street towards the Ita Oba roundabout, they intercepted information about a shooting incident.

    “The report stated that a group of unidentified gunmen on motorcycles shot and killed a young man whose identity is currently unknown.

    “Upon receiving the information, the DPO immediately proceeded towards the location of the gunshots. Upon arrival, they discovered the deceased lying in a pool of blood. The examination of the body revealed bullet wounds on the neck, stomach, and hand. Additionally, three expended cartridges were found at the scene,” she stated.

    The body of the deceased has been transported to a nearby morgue, with two large cowries found on him, it was said.

    Meanwhile, Odutola confirmed that the State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, is aware of the incident and “has personally arrived in Sagamu to oversee an open investigation into this tragic killing.”

  • Police declare war on cultism in Edo, arrest 124 suspects

    Police declare war on cultism in Edo, arrest 124 suspects

    Operatives of the Police Command in Edo have arrested 124 people for allegedly involving in cult fighting and killings in the state.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Muhammed Dankwara, made the disclosure at a news briefing on Thursday in Benin.

    Dankwara said that the arrest followed the command’s efforts toward putting an end to secret cult activities and killings in the state.

    Dankwara said that seven persons were killed in the recent renewed cult fight in the state.

    “Recall that there was an upsurge in secret cult activities and killings in the state.

    “There, some faceless cultists had clandestine meetings in hotels, apartments, lounges, houses and drinking joints of different locations in the city and discussed on how to attack and kill their perceived rival secret cult members.

    “The command has arrested 124 suspects in our fight against cult fighting and killings; 97 of these suspects were charged to court and 13 suspects were released after profiling,” he said.

    Dankwara noted that 14 other suspects were still under investigation to unravel some noticed and discovered things during profiling.

    The arrests, he said, were made by the command’s Anti-Cultism, Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime unit, in collaboration with Edo State Security Network.

    The police commissioner warned state actors, non-state actors and sponsors of the various secret cult confraternities giving money, hotels, apartments, lounges, houses, drinking joints or any other dwelling place as support for clandestine meetings to withdraw their patronages.

    According to him, anyone found guilty will be arrested and prosecuted, while such property will be sealed through the instrumentality of the law.

  • Police rescue victim from suspected cultists’ den in Delta

    Police rescue victim from suspected cultists’ den in Delta

    The Police Command in Delta has rescued a victim held hostage by suspected cultists.

    The command’s spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe, told newsmen on Wednesday in Warri that the victim was rescued by police operatives from Sapele Division.

    Edafe said that the victim was rescued on Sunday by the police team while on visibility patrol within Sapele and environs.

    “The police operatives heard some suspected cultists chanting ‘Aro Mate’ and swiftly moved to the area.

    “The suspects, on sighting the police, took to their heels, leaving behind a victim they were holding hostage with the intention to murder him.

    “The victim was rescued unhurt and has since re-united with his family,” he said.

    Edafe said that one pump action gun was recovered from the scene, adding that investigation into the matter was ongoing.

    He said that the Commissioner of Police, Delta Command, Mr. Wale Abass, had given the assurance that the command would sustain the fight against crimes.

  • One killed, three injured as rival cultist group clash in Ilorin

    One killed, three injured as rival cultist group clash in Ilorin

    The Omoda area of Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State capital on Sunday was thrown into pandemonium as rival cultist group clashed leaving one person dead.

    Findings also show that apart from the dead person, three others were severely injured in the attack.

    The suspected cultists allegedly invaded the area from the Gambari area of Ilorin metropolis.

    The victim was identified as one Toheeb of Ile Alagbede compound, Ajikobi area of Ilorin.

    It was gathered that there were sporadic gunshots around 2pm in the area on Sunday.

    All effort to link the victim to any of the groups proved abortive as it was not ascertained if he was a member of any cultist group as at when filing this report.

    Contacted, the spokesman of the state police command, Okasanmi Ajayi, said “no incident of that nature had been reported.

    He said “No report of the case is made in any of our police stations. Efforts to get information about the incident proved abortive please, ” he added.

  • Kwara ex-convict caught with charms, pistols at APC rally

    Kwara ex-convict caught with charms, pistols at APC rally

    A 44-year-old man, Safi Abolaji, aka Ojulari, has been arrested at the All Progressives Congress, APC, campaign at Ilorin, Kwara State, by the police with two locally-made pistols and charms.

    Ojulari was allegedly arrested on Sunday, at the rally held at Ojuekun Sarumi, Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.

    According to a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, the suspect, who was a member of the opposition party in the state, confessed to being a cult member and an ex-convict recently released from prison.

    Kwara ex-convict caught with charms, pistols at Kwara rally

    Meanwhile, a 22-year-old baker, David Sunny, has demanded compensation after he was allegedly tortured by some members of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, after N3.8m was stolen from a bakery where he worked.

    It was gathered that Sunny worked with the bakery in a supermarket, Unique Superstores, in the Owode-Ede area of Osun State.

    He was said to have resumed as usual and was informed that the bakery was robbed by an unknown person, who stole N3.8m.

    The baker said he was abducted by the OPC members to where parts of his body were burnt with fire and cigarette stubs.

    Narrating his ordeal, he said: “On January 8, somebody broke into the supermarket around 1am and robbed till 5am. It came as a shock to us all because how could someone rob for that long and no one would notice?

    “It was when we checked the Closed-Circuit Television camera in the morning that we found this out and the security guard on duty slept throughout the operation.

    “The person carted away a lot of money and there was no way to identify or trace him because the CCTV didn’t capture the person well. The only thing we could obtain from the CCTV was that someone broke in and the security guard slept off.

    “The manager called me around 7pm on Tuesday (January 10) to ask about his bread production but it was only a guise to get me to the office.”

    Sunny stated that when he got to the office, he met one Oriade (the OPC leader) and some others, who took him to a location where he was tortured and asked to confess to the theft.

    “I kept pleading my innocence, but it fell on deaf ears. They beat me and set fire under me, which burnt parts of my body.

    “Oriade’s second-in-command raised a cutlass to behead me and they all kept saying I should say my last prayers. He was making some incantations but when he got to my neck, thankfully he stopped. He kept telling me that I was stubborn,” he added.

    Sunny stated that he was later handcuffed and taken to a herbalist at Ore.

    He said the herbalist requested N45,000 for his charges and after some divinations declared that he was innocent.

    “Afterwards, I was taken to an eatery by the manager. Oriade and his boys came to my house to hurt me again, but fortunately for me, my boss was around and they had to go back. I went to my uncle’s place in Osogbo because I didn’t feel safe.

    “We reported the matter to the state Commissioner of Police and my manager and chief executive officer were arrested and charged with kidnapping and suspected ritualism.

    “However, Oriade and other OPC members did not show up at the station,” he added.

    Sunny demanded compensation for the injuries he suffered.

    The manager of the bakery, Abdulfatai Oyesomi, stated that he did not know that the OPC members would torture the victim.

    He said, “My brother, who is the CEO of the bakery, is currently on bed rest because of all he lost and all that happened. The money stolen was a loan from a bank and this has troubled my brother greatly.

    “No one pointed at him (Sunny) as the suspect; we wanted to arrest the security guard and let the police take over, but the guard came from the OPC guys and said we should allow them to carry out their own investigations.

    “They asked for Sunny and said they wanted to interrogate him; we agreed and we told them not to hurt him in any way. The mistake we made was leaving him (Sunny) with them.

    “When we saw him after the whole thing, we took him to a hospital, sorted his medical bills and bought him provisions. When we even found out that he left the apartment that we gave him and went to his family’s place in Osogbo, we settled with his family. We gave them a sum of N200,000 and we will still do more. He said he wanted to do some business and we said we would still give him something but we need to sort ourselves too.”

  • Police arrest 11 suspected cultists in Ogun

    Police arrest 11 suspected cultists in Ogun

    The Police Command in Ogun on Sunday said it arrested eleven suspected cultists at Sango-Ota area in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government of the state.

    The Police Spokesperson in the state, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said in a statement issued to newsmen in Ota, Ogun, that the suspects were arrested on Oct.11.

    Oyeyemi gave the names of the eleven suspects to include Moshood Owolabi, Olayemi Arukudu, Yusuf Olajide, Ibukun Adeoye, Yomi Samson, Faruk Salami, Olukunde Isaac, David Nwuzor, Nwanah Samuel, Ogunrinde Ganiyu and Chukwuemeka.

    “The PPRO explained that they were arrested following an information received by policemen at Sango-Ota Divisional Headquarters.

    “The suspects, who are responsible for series of cult clashes in Sango ota and its environs in recent time, are meeting in a house at NO. 13, Ago adura Street Ijoko ota in preparation for another round of violent attack.

    “On getting the information, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Sango ota Division, SP Saleh Dahiru, mobilized his personnel with men of Amotekun and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and moved to the scene where seven members of the group were apprehended while others escaped.

    “Four others were arrested with the assistance of members of the community, “he said.

    Oyeyemi said the suspects all confessed to being members of Aiye Cult Group and recovered from them weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, Colorado and Bonky.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr  Lanre Bankole, has directed that the suspects should be transferred to anti cultists unit of the state criminal Investigation departments for discreet investigation and diligent prosecution.