Seventeen suspected cultists were on Friday night arrested along the Tombia-Amasoma road over their alleged involvement in the killing of two graduates of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, Amassoma in renewed cult attack.
Among the 17 suspects arrested were four suspected cyber fraudsters popularly known as the Yahoo-boys for allegedly sponsoring the killings of the two students.
Senior police sources informed our correspondent that the arrest of the suspected killer cultists was made possible through the stop and search mounted on the road by the Rapid Response Squad headed by one police officer known as CSP Bishop Elemide.
It was gathered that upon receiving the police radio alert of the incident, which occurred at the Gbarantoru area off Amassoma Road, the RRS squad mounted a roadblock and was rewarded when a Suzuki minibus was stopped.
“We saw over 13 boys cramped inside with blood stains on a few of them. And machetes stained with blood. The police immediately suspected they were the ones who carried out the killing.
“Upon questioning, the police discovered that they went to the scene of the crime in two mini buses. One developed fault while they were escaping, and they decided to abandon it and use a minibus.”
Another police source, however, stated that the boys are suspected members of the notorious Vikings cult group and that four yahoo boys sponsored the killing of the two university graduates.
When contacted about the development, the spokesman of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Musa Mohammed, confirmed that the men of the RRS had made some arrests and that the level of involvement of each suspect is under investigation. “Yes, some major arrests have been made, and the command is investigating,” Mohammed said.
While some residents believed that the two murdered graduates were members of the Neo Black Movement known as Black Axe Aye, others claimed they were members of the Bobos cult group.
Already, the members of the Vikings in the state university and other secondary and higher institutions of learning in the state capital are reported to have gone into hiding for fear of reprisal.
Some fun seekers in bars and lounges within Yenagoa claimed to have noticed strange movements. Some fearsome-looking boys were searching for rival cult members to slay.
In the last week, some parts of the state capital have witnessed strange sounds of gunshots suspected to be an exchange of gunfire among rival cult groups.
Again, on Sunday morning, two rival cult gangs threw the popular commercial hub, Swali ultra-modern market, into confusion with heavy exchange of gunshots, which led to the killing of one person.
While a police source claimed that some are from policemen chasing after cult boys reportedly driving around town in a covered plate-numbered car, others claimed the shooting was among rival cult groups.
A senior police officer assured that the state commissioner of police, Francis Idu and his men are working around the clock to control the situation.
“We are working seriously to end these nefarious cult clashes and bring those involved to book. We have made many arrests, and the state government has also provided support and warned politicians to avoid influencing the police investigation. Those arrested will face the law.”
