Operatives of the Anambra State police command have arrested seven suspected cultists terrorising residents of Awka, the state capital.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday night.

Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the suspects were arrested at about 10 p.m. on Friday.

How they were arrested
The police spokesperson said some police operatives from the Special Anti-Cult Squad were on patrol along UNIZIK Junction in the area on the fateful day.

He said that at the junction, the operatives intercepted a tricycle and arrested five male occupants of the tricycle, including its rider.

“Operatives in a bid to question them, the occupants took to their heels. While the others escaped, Chukwuemka Ozoekwe was arrested,” he said.

Ikenga said Mr Ozoekwe later led the police operatives to their hideout where two other suspects – Chidozie Anagor, 18, and Chukwuemeka Oyeoka, 18 – were arrested.

“Also during the raid operation in their harbour, the operatives arrested Ebuka Okoye, 17, Olisa Obi, 19, Chidubem Nwakwu, 20, and Nwankwo Kosisochukwu,” he said.

“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to being members of Vipers Cult Group. They are one of the gangs terrorising Awka metropolis recently.

“The suspects also confessed that they were on a mission to rob the road users of their phones and personal belongings before the arrest,” the police spokesperson added.

He said two fleeing suspects – Makuo Nwosu and a yet-to-be-identified male – were declared wanted by the police.

Commissioner speaks
Reacting, the Acting Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Fidelis Ogarabe, charged the operatives to sustain the fight against criminals in the state, Mr Ikenga said.

Mr Ogarabe, the deputy commissioner of police in charge of finance and administration, promised to repay residents of the state for their confidence in the police in the state.

The acting police commissioner directed that all the suspects should be charged in court upon conclusion of investigations.

Background
There have been cult-related attacks and killings in Awka, the Anambra State capital, in recent times.

Several persons were reported killed in cult-related attacks in the last two months in the state capital.

The Lagos State Government has given a 48-hour quit notice to illegal occupants of abandoned Ikoyi Towers in Lagos Island.

The state’s Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab gave the notice on Saturday during an inspection of some sites, including the Federal Government-owned Ikoyi Towers.

“We were also on a site inspection to assess enforcement of Osborne underbridge after the illegal structures harbouring several persons were removed,” the commissioner wrote on his X account.

We were also on a site inspection to assess enforcement of Osborne underbridge after the illegal structures harbouring several persons were removed. Abandoned Ikoyi Towers which we observed were housing illegal occupants posing a security threat to the environment and nuisance to… pic.twitter.com/muDOd1qk2p

— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) May 4, 2024

“Abandoned Ikoyi Towers which we observed were housing illegal occupants posing a security threat to the environment and nuisance to the State. An undocumented number of persons running into hundreds were seen in the premises with no sanitary provisions, and whose daily activities could not be ascertained. They have been given a 48-hour vacation notice to leave the area.”

He also said, “Stagnant water bodies were also observed in the canal in Ebutte Elefun – Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island. Illegal structures and other business activities such as block/cement moulding were found along the fence of Ebutte Elefun High School. We have given a directive for the removal of these infractions.”

In recent months, the Lagos State Government has ramped up its clampdown on illegal structures to contain flooding and save lives.

Just last week, it cleared some illegal structures in under-bridge apartments where occupants pay as much as N250,000 yearly.

A Nigerian couple based in the United States has been convicted of forced labour by a federal jury in New Jersey and faces 20 years imprisonment.

Isiaka Bolarinwa, 67, and Bolaji Bolarinwa, 50 — who are both US citizens were also found guilty of operating a coercive scheme to compel two victims to perform domestic labour and childcare in their home.

Speaking at the end of the trial on April 24, Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general, said the husband and wife lured the victims to the US with promises of a better life and an education but instead subjected them to hours of physical and psychological abuse.

“The defendants confiscated the victims’ passports, threatened them, degraded them, physically abused them and kept them under constant surveillance, all to coerce the victims’ labor and ruthlessly exploit them for the defendants’ own profit,” Clarke said.

“Human trafficking is a heinous crime, and this verdict should send the very clear message that the justice department will investigate and vigorously prosecute these cases to hold human traffickers accountable and bring justice to their victims.”

According to the evidence presented at trial, including the testimony of two victims, the incident happened between December 2015 and October 2016.

“Once Victim 1 arrived in the United States in December 2015, Bolaji Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and coerced her through threats of physical harm to her and her daughter, verbal abuse, isolation and constant surveillance to compel her to work every day, around the clock for nearly a year,” the court heard.

“Isiaka was aware of his wife’s threats and abusive behavior toward Victim 1 and directly benefited from Victim 1’s cooking, cleaning and childcare.

“The defendants then recruited Victim 2 to come to the United States on a student visa.

“When Victim 2 arrived in the United States in April 2016, Bolaji Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse.

“On at least one occasion, Isiaka Bolarinwa also physically abused Vitim 2, and he was aware of his wife’s coercive, abusive behavior toward Victim 2 and directly benefited from her cleaning and childcare.”

The US department of justice (DOJ) said both victims endured the abuse until October 2016, when one of them (victim 1) summoned the courage to outcry to a professor at her college, who in turn, reported the targets to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each forced labour count and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the alien harbouring count.

The DOJ added that they will also be required to pay mandatory restitution to the victims and each faces a fine on each count of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offence, whichever is greatest.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.