The Edo State Police Command has arrested 81 suspects allegedly involved in various crimes across the state as part of efforts to reduce crime and ensure a peaceful Yuletide period.
Parading the suspects, the police commissioner, Muhammed Dankwara, said they were arrested in the ongoing clampdown against criminals, which began on December 1.
He said the suspects were arrested for cultism, car snatching, unlawful possession of firearms, and kidnapping, among others.
According to him, most of the suspects were arrested for cultism, adding that they have intelligence that highly placed individuals are supporting the cult groups.
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“This is to warn either those in government or outside that are supporting cult group tactically or financially to desist, because anybody no matter how highly placed, would be prosecuted,” he said.
“We have arrested members of various cult groups but the prominent ones that usually have problem in the state are Black Axe, Eiye and Maphite confraternities. They are the ones who, once they have problems, will galvanise their members and take revenge on each other.
He called on cult groups to desist from their criminal acts as the clampdown exercise will continue and that there is no benefit to being a cult member and not yielding anything good.
“We have intelligence that highly placed people in the state are supporting and are behind this cult group and once we are able to verify this, we will go after them because they can’t make the state ungovernable,” he said.
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