The Edo State Police Command has arrested 95 suspected cultists and recovered arms and ammunition and charms during week-long intelligence-led operations targeting cult enclaves in Benin City and surrounding areas.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Joel Yamu, and made available to journalists in Benin City.
According to the statement, the suspects are believed to be members of the notorious Maphites, Eiye, and Aye confraternities and are allegedly responsible for recent cult-related violence and supremacy killings across the state.
Recovered during the raids were two locally made pistols, one single-barrel shotgun, and twenty-four live cartridges.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, fdc, urged parents and guardians to closely monitor the activities of their children and wards to help combat the spread of cultism. He also issued a stern warning to youths in the state, advising them to steer clear of unlawful associations that could jeopardize their futures or lead to loss of lives.
The police further disclosed that sixty-four of the arrested suspects have already been arraigned in court and remanded, while investigations into the remaining cases are ongoing.
