BENIN CITY-Operatives of Edo State Police Command have apprehended six suspected criminals terrorising the state.
It was learnt that the arrest of the suspects followed the recent increased in intelligence gathering and tactical operations initiated in the command by CP Mohammed Dankwara, deployed to Edo State last month.
The Public Relations Officer for Edo State Police Command SP Chidi Nwabuzor said the suspects were picked following covert intelligence that some cultists were about to launch attacks in Benin City.
SP Chidi stated this while briefing journalists at the state police command headquarters in Benin City on Friday, November 18, 2022.
“On the 16th day of November, 2022 at about 16:oohrs an intelligence was received that some notorious criminal elements suspected to be deadly cultists and armed robbers converged in somewhere at Uholor community.
“Intelligence also revealed further that these criminals are responsible for various violence cult clashes within Ekenwan and its environs that the reasons for the gathering is to carried out an attacked on perceived enemies.
“Also, on the 12th day of November 2022, at about 1600hrs we received it from a reliable source that some groups of arm robbers were terrorizing Okpegha Community, Aduwawa Area, Benin City, Edo State.
“Upon the receipt of the information Operatives of the Command and Control Intelligence Rapid Response Squad (CIRRS) and Egba Divisional Police officer in collaboration with Edo State Vigilante group swung into action, and arrested the suspect one Ogbe Igbinoba ‘M’ with one cut to size gun and two live catriages recovered.
The police spokesman stated further that discreet investigations by operatives of the command led to more arrests of suspects.
“After painstakingly investigation, on 17th Day of November, 2022 three other suspects, were arrested in various location, one Lucky Ewaliefoh ‘M’, Garuba Samson ‘M’, and Daniel John ‘M’.
“The suspects confessed to have been a notorious armed robbers and also specialized in house breaking and burglary.
“Meanwhile the suspects have given police useful information that will lead to the arrest of others at large.”
SP Nwabuzor disclosed that three notorious suspects were also arrested namely one Victory Ishaka ‘M,’ Edafe Moses ‘M’ and Okunrobo Stephen ‘M’ as a locally made pistol was recovered.
“The three suspects arrested confessed to be serial cult killers who have been on police wanted list and members of a notorious cult group known Aye confraternity aka Black Axe. Meanwhile, the suspects have given police useful information that will lead to the arrest of others at large”, SP Nwabuzor added.
One of the suspects Edafe Moses,19, from Ugheli North local government area of Delta state, admitted membership of a cult group and the recovery of a cut-to size gun from him.
