The Police in Enugu State have arrested 26 members of different cult groups.
They were arraigned before a magistrate court sitting in Enugu on Thursday and remanded in the Correctional Service.
According to The PUNCH, the arrest came amid the ongoing rival cult war in the State which has claimed about 30 lives in Nsukka, Agbani and Enugu metropolis.
The command in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, said the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, has ordered Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and heads of Tactical Teams of the state command to use all the operational and intelligence resources at their disposal to further clamp down on the criminal elements and bring them to justice.
The suspects are between the ages of 18 and 40 years.
Ndukwe said the suspects, all male, confessed to being members of Supreme Vikings and Black Axe Confraternities- the two groups involved in the cult war.
“Preliminary investigations reveal that some members of Black Axe confraternity, on 29th March, 2023 at about 10pm, conspired, shot and injured a member of Supreme Vikings confraternity in the arm, at Emene, Enugu.
“On receipt of the information, members of Supreme Vikings confraternity, in solidarity with their murdered member, conspired and declared war against members of Black Axe confraternity, which has led to murderous armed attacks between the secret cult groups in different parts of Enugu metropolis, Agbani and Nsukka areas of the State.
“The investigations further reveal that the attacks have led to the murder of a yet-to-be ascertained number of individuals on different dates and times in the mentioned locations.
“The suspects were today, 20/04/2023, arraigned in court and remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre; while frantic operational and investigative efforts are on course to apprehend and bring other perpetrators of the act to book.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner has urged parents, guardians, community and religious leaders in the State to caution and dissuade their children, wards, or subjects from partaking in secret cultism and its related criminal activities, as the Police will not relent, in line with extant laws, to deal decisively with anyone apprehended.
“He further enjoins the citizenry to continue to support the Police, by promptly reporting criminal suspects and their activities, including those of secret-cult groups, to the nearest Police Station,” Ndukwe said.
