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 Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Sunday, denied the report that it released a list of ex-governors being investigated for alleged corruption.

In a statement by Dele Oyewale, EFCC’s head of media and publicity, the agency described the report as “false and mischievous”.

Citing a report titled “EFCC Releases Full List of 58 Ex- Governors that Embezzled N2.187 Trillion”, the anti-graft agency said the commission neither issued the said list nor entertained discussions on investigation of ex-governors with any news medium.

“This invariably means that the so-called list is a disingenuous fabrication designed to achieve motives known only to the authors,” the statement reads.

“The public is enjoined to ignore the report as it is false and misleading.

“The media is advised to endeavour to crosscheck facts pertaining to matters under investigation with the Commission to avoid misleading the public with false and inaccurate reports.”

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.