Police arrest 26 cultists in Edo

[AISAGBON OMOGIADE]

THE NATION


Following recent cult clashes in Benin City in which over 20 persons lost their lives, Edo state Police Command said it has arrested 26 suspected members of various cult groups in Edo state.

In the past two weeks, many persons were killed in different parts of the state including family members of suspected cult members who were hacked to death by rival cult groups.

Parading the suspects yesterday at the command headquarters in Benin City which include a 52-year-old man, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Danlami Yar’Adua, said the police could not fold their hands and watch the cult members kill innocent persons in the process of their reprisal attacks.

Yar Adua said the command succeeded in arresting 10 of them on Thursday while 16 were arrested on Friday in different parts of Benin City and its environs.

"Within the last few days, the command has recorded several reprisal killings of cultists in the state, we recorded over ten killings which all bordered on cultism in the state, but the problem is we cannot just fold our arms and watch lives being wasted because the cultists in the process of killing themselves, the innocent civilians are being terrorized.

"In the process of tracking down these suspected cultists, the command has now succeeded in arresting 26 suspects. 10 were arrested two days ago while 16 were arrested last night."

Stating that the arrested suspects cut across all walks of life, the commissioner assured that the police would not relent until cult members whom he described as criminals were arrested and prosecuted.

Answering questions from Journalists, the 52-year-old man who gave his name as Vote Osemwnegie said he was forced to join cultism just last week and that he belonged to Back axe fraternity.



How can a 52 year old man be a member of a cult that was until late associated with university campuses.Anything that gets to Edo state takes a different dimension.