Nigeria Police Arrest 81 Suspects for Cultism, Others

No fewer than 81 suspects allegedly involved in various crimes were arrested by the Edo State Police Command on Tuesday.

Parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Dankwara, said the suspects were arrested in the ongoing clampdown on criminals which began on December 11.

He said the suspects were arrested for cultism, car snatching, unlawful possession of firearms, and kidnapping, among others.

He said the majority of the suspects were arrested for cultism, adding that they had intelligence that highly placed individuals were behind the cult group.

He said, “This is to warn either those in government or outside that is supporting cult group tactically or financially to desist from it because anybody no matter how highly placed would be prosecuted.

“We have arrested members of various cult groups but the prominent ones that usually have problems in the state are the black axe, Eiye, and Maphite confraternities.”

He called on cult groups to desist from their criminal act as the clampdown would continue, noting that there is no benefit to being a cult member.

He added, “We have intelligence that highly places people in the state are supporting and behind this cult group and once we can verify this, we would go after them because they can’t make the state ungovernable.

“Anywhere we know that there are cultists whether individual houses or public places, we would go there and arrest them.”