The police have arrested 13 suspects for their alleged involvement in armed robbery and cultism in Edo State.
One of the suspects, Emeka Ogwu (27), was arrested for allegedly stealing armoured cable belonging to the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), while the 12 other suspects were arrested for their alleged involvement in cultism.
The state command’s spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, said the police arrested Ogwu while on patrol in the Upper Mission/Upper Lawani axis in Benin City following a distress call while he and one other person were seen vandalising BEDC’s armoured cables.
Nwabuzor further said that the anti-kidnapping and cybercrime unit of the command also arrested 12 suspected members of the Eiye secret cult on Uza Street, Esigie, Benin City while they were having a clandestine meeting on how to attack a rival secret cult.
Amotekun arrests 2 men over murder of herder in Ogun
Police confirm 4 killed during cult clash in A/Ibom
He listed the suspects as Ama Success (19), Odion Sunday (23), Elinana Omon (23), Famous Prosper (23), Joseph Ikehinde (22), Junior Uwadia (22), Cyrillic Omonhe (20), Charles Friday (20), Uyi Ewansiha (33), Ibrahim Abdulmalik (22), Uyi Okogiewe (19) and Ogbonna Maduabuchi (30).
One of the suspected cultists who spoke to journalists said, “I joined the secret cult because of oppression. Young boys like me used to collect items from me on the road. So, I decided to join so as to stop the oppression, but now I regret joining a secret cult.”