Police Arrest Over 20 Suspected Cultists in Bayelsa, Communities Declare War on Violence
By Jonah Fubara, YENAGOA –Â The Bayelsa State Police Command has intensified its crackdown on cult-related activities across the state, arresting more than 20 suspected cultists as security operatives move into communities identified as hotspots for cult violence.
The operation, ordered by the Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Saka Adewale, has seen police personnel and tactical teams deployed to areas including Swali, Akenfa, Down Yenagoa, Agudama and other communities in Yenagoa and its environs.
Sources said the intensified operation has forced some community leaders and youths previously accused of harbouring cult members to publicly distance themselves from the groups and declare their opposition to cultism and violence.
Police sources said several suspected notorious cultists have been arrested, while others are being tracked by security operatives.
The development followed a renewed wave of cult violence in Yenagoa, the state capital, which reportedly left at least five persons feared dead over the weekend.
The clashes, involving the rival Bobos and Greenlanders cult groups, were reported in parts of Agudama, Obele and the Back of St. Peters areas of the state capital.
The renewed violence is said to have disrupted a peace agreement previously reached among some cult groups under the former leadership of the state Police Command.
Meanwhile, tension has also emerged in the Onopa area of Yenagoa following a police operation during which a suspected cultist was shot.
Indigenes of the area accused operatives of the anti-cult team of indiscriminate arrests and alleged that some police personnel may have links to rival cult groups.
The aggrieved residents also called on CP Ajao to investigate the allegations, particularly claims that the police officer involved in the shooting and an informant who allegedly identified the victim as a member of the Vikings cult and an illicit drug dealer were members of a rival group known as Bobos.
The young man, who was reportedly operating a POS business while allegedly selling illicit drugs, was shot during a police raid on Tuesday.
However, police authorities dismissed reports that he had died, confirming that he was receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.
In response to the renewed cult violence, CP Ajao has directed Divisional Police Officers and tactical commanders across the state to intensify operations against cultism and cult-related violence.
The Commissioner ordered increased patrols in vulnerable communities and directed security personnel to identify emerging threats and respond promptly to credible intelligence concerning planned cult clashes, initiation ceremonies and recruitment.
He further warned that there would be no sacred cows in the ongoing crackdown, stressing that anyone found involved in cult-related activities would face the full weight of the law.
