BENIN CITY-The parents and associates of the 46 suspected cultists arrested by police at Ekpoma town last week have continued to besiege Edo State Police Command headquarters to seek possible release of their children.
Commenting at the development, the commissioner of Police in Edo State Mr Chris Ezike stated that the suspects have to be profiled, their photograph taken and cross-matched to know whether they are on the police wanted list.
Mr Ezike revealed further that the whole essence is to sieve the shaft from the grains as some innocent ones may have been arrested during the raid.
“They have to be profiled and documented, their photograph taken, their fingerprint taken and then we run a check in our data bank to know whether they are in our wanted list, and we will also run a test to see whether there will be a cross-matched, exhibits have been recovered.
“In an operation it is possible that collaterally you may make arrests that are not part of it, that is why you need to go the whole hug to make sure that people who are not involved are ultimately released”. CP Ezike explained.
He however disclosed that he has directed six of the suspects to be released as investigation exonerated them.
It was also gathered that the commissioner of Police Mr Chris Ezike who investigations revealed was in the office during the holidays directed O/C CID to ensure that the proper thing is done irrespective of whose horse is gored.
It was learnt that most of the suspects were picked at night in their rooms in Ekpoma town the administrative headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, on September 21 and 22, 2015.
The bail seekers were looking disappointed, demoralised and dazed when operatives of the command informed them that the suspects were still undergoing screening and profiling, last Friday.
Our investigations revealed that the problems of some desperate parents were further compounded when their attempts to financially induce Investigation Police Officers (IPOs) to take their children on bail, failed.
Most of them were drenched by last Thursday rain as they could not find proper shade within the headquarters premises to take cover.
When our crime reporter visited the maximum cell at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the police headquarters last weekend, the inmates were seen given sachets water and loaves of bread by their relatives while others shared rice and stool tied in cellophane.
A parent who claimed to have travelled from Kogi State to seek the release of his son appealed to police to be discreet and professional in their investigations.
He however condemned the killing of four youths in Ekpoma just as he described cultism as a social evil.
It will be recalled operatives of Edo Police Command arrested 46 suspected cultists during a raid on Ekpoma town.
Sophisticated arms and ammunition were recovered from the suspects.
The Commissioner of Police in Edo Mr Chris Ezike told to our reporter that the raid of the University town followed the cult war recorded in the community, recently.
“Cultists are criminals, I will not allow them to operate in Edo, you know there was cult war in Ekpoma recently, so I directed that the situation must be brought under control and since the raid which lasted two days, Ekpoma is now calm.
“We arrested 46 suspects, pump action, AK 47 and ammunition were recovered from them, we are screening them”. CP Ezike stated.
Our reporter investigation revealed that crack team from the state capital stormed the university town to carry out the raid in full compliance with the directive of the police commissioner.
They were said to have covertly laid siege to the community in collaboration with local police and some informants on the Ambrose Alli University (AAU).
Four persons were killed in the cult fracas.
Mr Chris Ezike, Commissioner of Police, Edo State
