… As Police arrest 2 notorious cultists in Rivers, recover arms
A newly formed security squad launched by Governor Monday Okpebholo has arrested over 20 suspects in Benin City during its first major operation targeting cultists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers.
Codenamed ‘Operation Flush Out Kidnappers and Cultists,’ the initiative marked the squad’s debut enforcement action.
The operation focused on several notorious black spots in the city, including Isiohor, Iguosa, Oluku, Ibiwe, and Lagos Street, locations long considered havens for violent crime and drug activity.
The operation, carried out by a multi-agency team comprising the military, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), hunters, local vigilantes, and repentant cultists, led to the seizure of weapons, hard drugs, and other incriminating materials.
John Adewale Eseikhaigbe, a member of the squad, described the raid as a decisive move against crime in Edo, crediting Governor Okpebholo for initiating the crackdown.
He said the squad was acting on a clear directive from the governor, who had vowed that the recent surge in killings and kidnappings in the state must be halted.
“Since the governor made it clear that the recent killings in Edo State must stop, we have taken up this mandate to rid our streets of cultists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers,” he said.
“This is a sustained operation, and we are determined to make the state safe for residents and investors alike.”
Eseikhaigbe also noted the interconnectedness of many violent crimes, explaining that cultism, drug trafficking, and kidnapping often overlap in terms of networks and operations, hence the need for a broad and coordinated response.
As part of the operation, a hotel in the Isiohor area was sealed off after it was identified as a suspected hideout for criminal gangs.
Speaking on the development, another taskforce member, Eribo Emwanta, said that the move was not targeted at any individual, but was meant to promote accountability.
“This is not about witch-hunting anyone. It’s about accountability. We want to understand why such a place became a haven for drug dealers and cultists,” he said.
Amielemen Idemudia Noah, another participant in the operation, said the governor’s determination was already making an impact.
“We thank the governor for his bold leadership. He is clearly pained by the recent wave of violence and is committed to ending it,” he said.
Governor Okpebholo has given the security taskforce full operational backing with a clear mandate to confront all forms of criminality and restore peace to the state.
In Rivers State the Police Command arrested two notorious cultists linked to recent gang violence and killings in the Dionu axis of the city.
Recall that about five persons, including a commercial cab driver hit by a stray bullet, lost their lives during clashes between rival cult groups in the area.
The Police Command said the arrest followed the deployment of special operatives, whose efforts, supported by a local vigilante group, led to the capture of one suspect, identified as Diseye Ukulu.
Spokesperson of the Command, Superintendent of Police Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt.
She said Ukulu’s confession subsequently led to the arrest of another suspect and the recovery of several sophisticated weapons.
“In compliance with the directives of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, to rid the state of criminal elements, the Command recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest of Diseye Ukulu, a 36-year-old male from Bayelsa State, residing at No. 25 Nnewi Street, Diobu, Port Harcourt,” the statement read in part.
“On July 9, 2025, at about 6:20 p.m., a combined team of operatives from the Special Operations and Intelligence Team, Hawk Tactical Squad, and Anti-Cultism Unit, in collaboration with members of the Diobu local vigilante group, apprehended the suspect.
“The intelligence-led operation focused on rivalries between the D12 and BS cult factions, both affiliated with the notorious Deygbam cult group, which has been implicated in recent violent killings in the Diobu area of Port Harcourt.”
Iringe-Koko added that following Ukulu’s confession, the operatives proceeded to the residence of another suspect, identified as Achionu Solomon Chukwuma, also known as Solex, where several arms were recovered.
Items recovered included one Scorpion VZ61 submachine gun, one locally fabricated Beretta pistol, 20 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, two rounds of 9mm live ammunition, and a pair of screwdrivers concealed in a black bag.
She said the suspects and the recovered exhibits are currently in police custody, while a discreet investigation is ongoing to arrest other members of the cult group.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, reiterated the Command’s commitment to bringing all criminal elements in the state to justice.
He also urged residents to provide the police with timely and useful information to aid in further arrests.
