The Bayelsa State Police Command has launched an intensified crackdown on cult-related activities, arresting over 20 suspects across the state. The operation, ordered by Commissioner of Police Ajao Saka Adewale, aims to disrupt cult groups, prevent clashes, and apprehend persons suspected of involvement in cult-related violence. Police operatives have been deployed to identified hotbeds, including Swali, Akenfa, Down Yenagoa, and Agudama.
The police operation has resulted in the arrest of several suspects, with efforts ongoing to track down others believed to be involved in cult-related activities. Some known suspects have been arrested, while community leaders and youths in affected areas have begun publicly distancing themselves from cult groups. This development follows the police operations and warnings against harbouring suspected cult members.
However, a separate police operation in the Onopa area of Yenagoa has generated controversy, with some residents alleging that officers attached to the anti-cult team carried out indiscriminate arrests and shooting. The residents alleged that the police officer who shot a young man during the operation, as well as an informant who reportedly identified the victim as a member of the Vikings cult, were allegedly members of a rival cult group known as Bobos.
The allegations could not be independently verified, but the aggrieved residents have called on the Commissioner of Police to investigate the allegations and determine whether any police personnel were involved in cult activities or acted outside their official duties. The young man, who was reportedly operating a point-of-sale business and was accused of selling illicit drugs, was shot during the police operation and is receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.
The police have dismissed reports that the victim had died, describing such reports as untrue. The latest police operation followed renewed cult-related violence in Yenagoa, where at least five people were feared killed over the weekend. The clashes reportedly began on Friday between rival groups identified as Bobos and Greenlanders, affecting areas including Agudama, Obele, and Back of St Peter’s in the state capital.
In response to the violence, Commissioner Adewale ordered intensified operations against cultism and cult-related violence across the state. Divisional Police Officers and tactical commanders were directed to increase patrols in vulnerable areas, identify emerging threats, and respond promptly to credible intelligence concerning planned clashes, initiation ceremonies, and recruitment activities.
The police have warned that they will not spare anyone found to be involved in cult-related violence. Community leaders and youths in affected areas have begun house-to-house searches for persons suspected of belonging to cult groups, in collaboration with the police. This mobilisation followed a viral video purportedly showing a young man being attacked by suspected cult members, sparking outrage among residents and renewed calls for action against cult-related violence.
Key points
- The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested over 20 suspects in a crackdown on cult-related activities.
- The police operation aims to disrupt cult groups, prevent clashes, and apprehend persons suspected of involvement in cult-related violence.
- The crackdown follows renewed cult-related violence in Yenagoa, where at least five people were feared killed over the weekend.
