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General News of Sunday, 18 July 2021

Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

Delta police declare war on cultists

The police The police

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ali Arri, has expressed anger over the alarming increase in cult clashes resulting in deaths and kidnappings in the state.

Consequently, the CP has given the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and Area Commanders a marching order to fish out all cultists in the state.

A reliable source close to the commissioner of police disclosed that he gave the order during an emergency meeting with the DPOs and tactical team leaders on Thursday in Asaba, the state capital.

The order was said to have paid off when one of his tactical teams Code-named RRS led by Chief Superintendent of Police,  Masoyi Dadi, stormed a hide out of the cultists at Oguma on Friday night and arrested 25 cultists during initiation. Ten vehicles were said to have been recovered from the suspected cultists.

Similarly, another team stormed Ogwashiuku and engaged several cult members in a gun battle. Several arms and ammunition were recovered from them while they escaped with bullet wounds. One AK50 military rifle with 19AK 50 live ammunition were recovered. Also recovered were three locally made double barrel guns with 20 live cartridges.

Also in Warri, one of the suspected cultists was shot dead on Friday night by police  detectives from ‘B’ Division.

During the emergency meeting on Thursday, the CP was said to have warned his officers that he would not tolerate activities of cultists in the state

He was said to have threatened to deal with any DPO in whose jurisdiction cultism cases are recorded.

CP Mohammed, who spoke with Sunday Sun on phone yesterday, confirmed the story.

He said: “l warned my officers not to spare anyone involved in cultism, no matter the background of such cultists. Nobody is above the law of the land.

“I assure the law-abiding residents in the state of their safety, but for the criminals, Delta State will be too hot for them to operate.”

He also disclosed that “we have charged 27 to court. As l speak with you, 100 of them are in our custody, undergoing interrogation.”