Awka, Anambra State (Nigeria):In a sweeping operation targeting criminal networks, the Anambra State Police Command has arrested 54 suspects linked to alleged cultism across various communities.
The arrests followed coordinated raids and intelligence-led efforts aimed at curbing rising cult-related violence in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ikioye Orutugu, disclosed this while addressing reporters on Monday in Awka.
He stated that operatives of the Command raided a notorious spot at Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state in the late hours of Sunday.
According to him, the arrest followed credible intelligence that cultists routinely gathered at the location to perfect plans for their nefarious activities.
“During the operation, 53 suspects, including 38 males and 15 females, were arrested,” he said.
Orutugu, who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said that the suspects were currently undergoing screening and profiling.
“Those found culpable after the investigation would be charged in Court,” he said.
He said that on Sept. 12, Operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad (SPACS), Enugwu-Ukwu, while on a search for cultists, arrested a male suspect, Chiderah Obochi (25), at Ifitedunu, along Old Onitsha/Awka Road.
“The suspect, who was on a motorcycle, was searched and some quantities of dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp were recovered from him,” he said.
The commissioner said that upon interrogation, Obochi confessed to being a drug runner in Umudioka Village, Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state.
He said that the suspect thereafter led the team to the house of Ginika Okeke in Umudioka Village, but the suspect was not at home.
According to Orutugu, 11 bags containing a considerable quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp were recovered from the house.
He said that the recovered substances would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.
“The Command is also working on credible intelligence to identify and apprehend drug dealers supplying these harmful substances,” he said.
Oturugu expressed deep concern over the increasing cases of moral decay in the state, particularly among youths aged 18 to 26.
According to him, despite the successes recorded in the past, disturbing trends such as cultism and fake kidnapping incidents continued to surface in Anambra.
He recalled two recent separate cases where boys and girls arranged self-kidnappings to extort money from their parents.
The police boss condemned the resurgence of cult-related activities, like the recent indiscriminate shooting by suspected cultists of the attendees of a burial ceremony at Ezi-Ogidi, Ogidi, Idemili North LGA.
He said the Command had intensified surveillance, patrols, and intelligence-gathering operations aimed at preventing such incidents from occurring.
Orutugu said that the Command has strategised further by adopting both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to tackle crimes in the state.
According to him, the abuse of hard drugs remained a major driving force that emboldens youths to commit heinous crimes in the state.
He reassured the public of the Command’s unwavering commitment to restoring sanity, protecting lives and property, and ensuring that the state remained safe for all law-abiding residents.