By Onomiguren Agbamu
The Delta State Police Command has arrested nine suspected cultists in separate operations in Obiaruku and Issele-Ikpitime, recovering two locally made guns, a live cartridge, suspected illicit drugs and a battle axe.
The arrests were carried out by operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Unit, SAKU, Ubulu-Uku, and the Onicha-Olona Divisional patrol team.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Edafe said seven suspects were arrested on September 13 when SAKU operatives, acting on credible intelligence, executed a search warrant at a premises along Ghana Quarters Street, Umuebu Road, Obiaruku.
Items recovered during the operation included a locally fabricated single-barrelled gun, one live cartridge, quantities of suspected illicit drugs, a battle axe, mobile phones and a laptop computer.
The suspects were identified as Wisdom Enede, 25; Ocheli Solomon, 42; Nnaji Godstime, 23; Izu Thankgod, 28; Kester Adishi, 31; Oghonogho Pentecost, 28; and Adishi Prince, 28.
The police said preliminary interrogation indicated that the suspects allegedly admitted membership of the Vikings and Black Axe confraternities.
They also allegedly made statements regarding their involvement in internet fraud.
According to the command, investigation is ongoing to determine the individual roles of the suspects, establish the source of the recovered firearm and ascertain their possible links to other criminal activities.
In a separate operation on September 12, police operatives in Onicha-Olona Division arrested two suspected cultists following a reported attack on residents of Issele-Ikpitime Village.
The patrol team, which was deployed immediately after receiving the distress report, arrested Emmanuel Believe, 29, and Israel Nwaobi, 27, both of Issele-Ikpitime.
A locally made cut-to-size gun was recovered from the suspects.
The police also rescued a man who sustained a gunshot injury during the attack and evacuated him to a hospital for treatment.
The command said efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the group allegedly involved in the attack.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel E. Erale, directed the operatives to trace the sources of the recovered firearms and identify other persons connected with the suspects.
He warned youths against cult-related violence and illegal possession of firearms, assuring residents that the command would continue to act on credible intelligence to disrupt criminal activities across the state.
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