121 suspects arrested over cult-day celebration – Newstrends
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121 suspects arrested over cult-day celebration

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121 suspects arrested over cult-day celebration

At least 121 people were arrested following a police crackdown on suspected cultists planning to commemorate a cult programme known as the 7/7 Day Celebration in Benue and Plateau states. 

The 7/7-Day Celebration is a cult-related ritual at which suspected members of the Aiye Confraternity often initiate new members and is frequently marred by violence and killings.

Chronicle NG learned via separate statements from the Benue and Plateau Police commands that the individuals were apprehended in various locations throughout the states.

The Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, paraded some of the suspects at the Plateau State Police Headquarters in Jos on Monday.

He stated that 118 individuals were arrested on July 7 for cult activities, which is their day of celebration and initiation of new members.

He noted that reliable intelligence and collaboration with other security agencies resulted in the arrests at various sites across the state.

The CP said, “The arrested cultists wanted to hold their engagements yesterday (Sunday, 7/7/2024), but the police were very proactive with other security agencies raiding their hideouts. Yesterday alone, a total of 118 suspects were apprehended.

“From yesterday until today, the command did not allow them to operate anywhere. That is why there is no story of the cultists operating anywhere in Plateau State. They were picked up from different locations.”

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In Benue State, some youths claimed to have planned an event to commemorate what they called the ‘AYIE Cultism Day celebration on Sunday, July 7, 2024, in the historic town of Gboko.

According to an intelligence assessment leaked to security officials, one of the planned activities to commemorate the occasion was the initiation of new members.

It was said that certain youngsters, in coordination with security personnel working on intelligence reports, went from street to street, rounding up suspects.

According to a source in Gboko who goes by the name Jiji Jack, several volunteer youngsters worked with police officers to apprehend the suspects who had come for the celebration.

Jack said, “Some volunteer youths based in the traditional seat of the Tiv nation, Gboko, joined forces with the security Joint Task Force to stop the planned celebrations of the worldwide cultism day, which is 7/7/2024.

“The youths moved from one street to another to disperse a suspicious gathering of youths suspected to be celebrating the cultism day.

A Gboko youth leader who did not want to be identified told reporters that they recruited their members to scour the streets of Gboko for suspected cultists in order to prevent anything from disrupting the historic town’s peace.

“It came to our notice that a group of criminally-minded individuals, particularly cultists who are members of a particular confraternity, had concluded plans to celebrate Cultism Day on July 7, the day popularly known as 7/7.

“And new members would be inducted, covenants would be renewed, and supremacy battles would occur, usually characterised by violence and bloodshed, a reason we are out to assist the security to fight against it.

“So, we passed the information to security men, joined hands with them, and moved from street to street. Anywhere we found a gathering of youths, we dispersed them.”

He added, “We want our youths to be law-abiding and shun negative tendencies as well as violence to make Gboko peaceful. Security is everywhere, and we, as youth groups, are helping the security to see that none of such activities take place in Gboko.

When reached, Catherine Anene, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Benue State Command, stated three individuals had been apprehended.

“Three suspects were arrested in Gboko, and the investigation is ongoing,” Anene said in a terse statement.

121 suspects arrested over cult-day celebration

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200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.

The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.

He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.

His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.

“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.

“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.

“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.

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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.

Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.

According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.

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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.

Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.

He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.

 

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

(NAN)

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Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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Dr. Samuel Ekerenam
Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured
Gunmen kidnapped a prominent businessman, Dr. Samuel Ekerenam and k!lled his driver in Eket town, the headquarter of Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Ekerena, the owner of Hephzibah Mall, was abducted about 10:00pm on Saturday, 23 November, 2024.
It was gathered that the gunmen trailed the victim to the shopping complex, shooting sporadically to scare the passers-by away before whisking him away to an unknown destination.
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The body of Ekerenam’s driver was discovered in the pool of his blood, while his police orderly was severely wounded in the gun attack.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Timfon John, who confirmed the incident on Monday, November 25, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo has deployed tactical operatives to comb for the abducted businessman.
The PPRO added that the police were on top of the game and very soon the kidnap victim would be rescued and the perpetrators made to face the full weight of the law.

Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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