Edo Police Command said it has arrested four suspected cultists allegedly responsible for cult violence in Auchi and its environs of the state.

In a statement, the command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Yamu said, the suspects, who were arrested during a joint operation, belong to different cultist groups.

The statement reads partly, “On 22/06/2025, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit in a joint operation with Jattu and Auchi Divisions embarked on a house-to-house arrest of cultists.

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“These four (4) suspects were arrested in various locations in Auchi; Musa Murphy 25yrs of No 35 Ogeneni area Jattu, Auchi a member of Arobaga Confraternity, Gabriel Moses 25yrs of ECocota-Community, Auchi a member of Aye Confraternity, Michael Ayo 23yrs of No1 Emeke Uzuire, Auchi member of Eiye Confraternity and Philip Sunday 24yrs of Ebira camp, Auchi a member of Vikings Confraternity.”

Yamu expressed the state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika’s assurance to the “general public of the Command’s resolve to rid the State of cultism while the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.”

The Police Command in Kogi has confirmed the death of one passenger in a foiled attempt to abduct passengers along the Obajana-Oshokoshoko road in the state.

A statement on Tuesday in Lokoja by SP Williams Ovye-Aya, the command’s spokesman, said the feat was part of a series of bold operations carried out in the command.

Ovye-Aya said that on June 23, the Obajana Division operatives foiled the attempted abduction of passengers along the Obajana-Oshokoshoko road.

“The police patrol team responded promptly to sporadic gunfire and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel, forcing them to flee.

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“All passengers were successfully rescued, but six sustained injuries, and one later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

He further stated that the command, in a separate incident, arrested two suspects in Ayingba for possession of firearms and recovered several exhibits on June 21.

He said the two arrested suspects were found in possession of a locally made pistol, live cartridges, and suspected Indian hemp.

Again, he disclosed that on June 22, operatives of the Okene Division intercepted a Nissan vehicle with five passengers heading towards Auchi.

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He said that during a search, one passenger escaped, leaving behind a bag containing a submachine gun (SMG) rifle, live ammunition, and other exhibits.

The spokesman listed the recovered items as “1 SMG rifle with breach number 5197, 1 magazine, 28 live rounds of 5.6 mm, 1 live G3 round, a locally made pistol, 2 live cartridges and other items.”

Ovye-Aya quoted the commissioner of police, Miller Dantawaye, as reassuring citizens of the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property in the state.

(NAN)

No fewer than 10 people were feared dead in a road accident that occurred at Soka area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Tuesday.

According to Vanguard, the accident involved three articulated trucks and a commercial Micra car.

One of the eyewitnesses said one truck lost control and rammed into other vehicles, leading to commotion in the area.

Men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were sighted at the Challenge area of Ibadan moving some of the victims to the hospital.

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A man, Aderogba Daniel, told Vanguard that the affected vehicles were coming from the Iwo road end when one of the trucks lost control and veered off the road.

As of the time of filing this report, the driver of the Micra car was still trapped under the truck.

“In a bid to help the victims, some passersby made desperate efforts to get them out. Some people were using cutlasses to cut the Micra car to rescue the driver who was motionless.

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“Not quite long, some officials of the FRSC got to the scene, helping the injured to the hospital,” said Mr Aderogba.

One of the FRSC officials promised to speak on the accident later.

“From the way I saw the victims, I doubt if the casualty figure could be less than 10,” he said.