Operatives of the Enugu state Police Command, on Wednesday, June 1, announced the arrest of 24 cultists in Udi local government area of the state.
Spokesperson of the state’s police command, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, while confirming the arrest in a statement, stated that operatives of the anti-cultism squad, stormed a secret cult initiation ceremony in a forest, and apprehended the cult members.
The command recovered two locally made pistols, seven black berets, a can containing a liquid substance suspected to be a mixture of palm wine and Indian hemp used for the initiation.
“On 28/05/2022 at about 4.30 am, police operatives serving in anti-cultism squad of the command, acting on credible information, busted a secret cult meeting/initiation process in a forest at Eke in Udi LGA, arrested twenty-four (24) cultists and recovered two (2) locally made pistols, seven (7) black berets and a white-coloured ten litres can, containing liquid substance suspected to be a mixture of palm wine and Indian hemp used for the initiation,” the statement reads.
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“Ongoing investigation revealed that the cultists are made up of fourteen (14) newly initiated and ten (10) old members of Apache Tigers, which is also known as Black Beret (BB) confraternity.”
The cultists include: Eze Lucky Chinemerem, Igwe Chidimma Jonathan, Ugwu Chiemerie, Agubata Chidera, Abraham Onumah, Abdulraham Suleiman, Chizoba Atu, Sunday Victor, Eneh Chidera, Asadu Ejike Stephen, Eze Chibuzor Emmanuel, Ebuo Tochukwu Victor, Ogbodo Mohammed, and Gabriel Ebubechukwu.
Others are Offia Emeka Emmanuel, Ajoku Leo Chiemeka, Onyekwelu Ugochukwu, Chibuoke Chukwuemeka, Chineke Chibueze, Ugwu Chibuike, Aneke Chidubem, Ozougwu Henry, Aneke Ugochukwu and Nwali Ikechukwu.
They confessed to being members of the Black Beret confraternity, according to reports.
Meanwhile, the police spokesperson urged the residents of the statet to remain vigilant, and continue to assist the state’s police command with credible and timely information/intelligence it requires to apprehend all criminal elements in the state.
He added that all the cult members would be arraigned in court after investigations are concluded.