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The Enugu State Police Command has detained 26 people suspected of being involved in the state’s cult skirmishes.
The battles, which are supposed to involve Supreme Vikings and Black Axe Confraternities members, have reportedly taken 14 lives in the last two weeks.
The Anti-Cultism Squad has made several arrests.
According to a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, on Thursday, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, has directed Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and Tactical Team leaders to use all operational and intelligence resources at their disposal to further crackdown on suspected criminals and bring them to justice.
Ndukwe stated that the 26 male suspects, ranging in age from 18 to 40, were apprehended at various sites around the state by members of the command’s Anti-Cultism Squad.
According to him, all of the suspects engaged in the crime confessed to being members of the Supreme Vikings and Black Axe Confraternities, both of which are involved in the cult conflict.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that some members of Black Axe confraternity conspired, shot, and injured a member of Supreme Vikings confraternity in the arm at Emene, Enugu on March 29, 2023, around 10.30 pm,” the statement stated.
“Upon receiving the information, members of the Supreme Vikings confraternity conspired and declared war against members of the Black Axe confraternity in solidarity with their murdered member, this has resulted in counter-murderous armed attacks amongst the state’s hidden cult organizations in various regions of Enugu metropolis, Agbani, and Nsukka.
“The investigations also revealed that the attacks resulted in the murder of an undetermined number of people on various dates and times in the aforementioned locations.”
“The suspects were arraigned in court today, April 20, 2023, and remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre, while frantic operational and investigative efforts are underway to apprehend and prosecute other perpetrators of the act.”
Suspects Arrested and Remanded in Custody
The suspects were charged and held in the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre after being arraigned in court. Ahmed Ammani, the Commissioner of Police, has directed Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and the heads of the state command’s Tactical Teams to employ all operational and intelligence resources at their disposal to further crack down on criminal elements and bring them to justice.
The Importance of Dissuading Youth from Secret Cultism
The Commissioner has asked parents, guardians, community and religious leaders throughout the state to warn and discourage their children, wards, or subjects from engaging in secret cultism and similar criminal acts. It is critical to keep young people away from cults since it frequently leads to suicide.
