Police agents detained the suspects, who range in age from 18 to 40, at various sites around the state.
Enugu state police command have arrested 26 suspects for alleged involvement in cult related killings in the stare.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Daniel Ndukwe said the suspected were arrested Following the reported cases of secret cult-induced attacks and acts of murder in some parts of Enugu State.
He said the Commissioner of Police, *CP Ahmed Ammani, has ordered Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and heads of Tactical Teams of the State Command, to use all the operational and intelligence resources at their disposal to further clamp down on the criminal elements and bring them to justice.
Press Statement from the Police
He said “This is considering the arrest of twenty-six (26) male suspects between the ages of 18 and 40 years, at different locations in the State, by Police Operatives of the Command’s Anti-cultism Squad.
“The suspects, all linked to the crime, confessed to being members of Supreme Vikings and Black Axe Confraternities that are respectively involved in the cult war.
“Preliminary investigations reveal that some members of Black Axe confraternity, on 29/03/2023 at about 2230hrs, conspired, shot and injured a member of Supreme Vikings confraternity in the arm, at Emene, Enugu.
“On receipt of the information, members of Supreme Vikings confraternity, in solidarity with their murdered member, conspired and declared war against members of Black Axe confraternity, which has led to counter and counter murderous armed attacks between the secret cult groups in different parts of Enugu metropolis, Agbani and Nsukka areas of the State.
“The investigations further reveal that the attacks have led to the murder of a yet-to-be ascertained number of individuals on different dates and times in the mentioned locations,” he said.
Ndukwe said that suspects has been arraigned in court and remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre; while frantic operational and investigative efforts are on course to apprehend and bring other perpetrators of the act to book.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner has urged parents, guardians, community and religious leaders in the State to caution and dissuade their children, wards, or subjects from partaking in secret cultism and its related criminal activities, as the Police will not relent, in line with extant laws, to deal decisively with anyone apprehended”
He thereby enjoined the citizenry to continue to support the Police, by promptly reporting criminal suspects and their activities, including those of secret-cult groups, to the nearest Police Station.
