The Edo State Police Command has apprehended 95 individuals in connection with a series of renewed cult-related clashes that have left several people dead over the past two weeks.
Spokesperson for the Command, Moses Yamu, disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday that 64 of the suspects have already been arraigned and remanded by the court, while investigations are ongoing for the remaining individuals.
According to Yamu, the arrests followed intelligence-led operations across Benin City and surrounding communities, during which law enforcement officers recovered a cache of arms.
“The Edo State Police Command has arrested 95 suspected cultists and recovered two locally made pistols, one single-barrel shotgun, and 24 live cartridges in sustained intelligence-driven raids of their enclaves in Benin and environs for the past week,” the statement read.
He added that the suspects belong to rival cult groups, including the Maphites, Eiye, and Aye confraternities, which have been involved in violent supremacy battles.
“These suspects, who belong to the notorious Maphites, Eiye, and Aye confraternities, were suspected to be responsible for the cult supremacy killings in the state,” Yamu said.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Edo, Monday Agbonika, has appealed to parents and guardians to closely monitor their children’s activities to help tackle the growing menace of cultism.
He cautioned young people against joining criminal groups, noting that such affiliations often lead to tragic ends.
“Joining a cult is a path to destruction,” Agbonika warned. “We are committed to restoring peace in the state and will continue to go after anyone threatening the safety of residents.”
The police have assured the public that more raids and arrests will follow as efforts to dismantle cult networks in the state continue.
