CITY NEWS Police nab 7 suspected cultists, recover pistol at Bwari ‘We were deceived to vote for APC in last council polls’

Seven suspected cultists were arrested on Sunday afternoon by the police and a locally made pistol was recovered at Kuduru village, Bwari Area Council of the FCT.

A statement by the FCT Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, said the seven suspected cultists were arrested at about 3:00p.m. after the police got a distress call that two rival cults had clashed over a girl at the village.

He gave the names of the suspects as Ridwan Olaitan, 23, Hassan Ayo, 28, Abdulganiyu Sodiqu, 24, Moses Dominic, 20, Abdulhameed Ali, 21, Eze Chubuike, 23, and Chidera Ugorji, 23.

He said the timely arrival of the police from Bwari division led to the arrest of the suspects, adding that one live ammunition belonging to one of the arrested suspects, Ridwan Olaitan, was recovered at the scene.

The statement said the seven suspected cultists have been transferred to the command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for investigation and possible prosecution.

The statement further said the FCT Police Commissioner, Musa Kimo, called on parents, guardians and religious leaders to rise to the occasion by providing sound moral and spiritual guidance for the youths whose future was seriously being threatened by the menace of cultism.

“The involvement of the youths in cult activities is constituting a serious security threat to the society,” the statement said. The natives of the FCT, under the aegis of Coalition of Abuja Indigenous Group (COAIG), have said they were deceived by stakeholders to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the last area councils election in the territory.

A statement by the group’s spokesperson, Ahmadu Yunusa, said all the promises made to the natives were not being kept.

He said they were disappointed that the natives were not carried along, especially in benefitting from appointments.

“The assurance by the minister and some stakeholders that the natives should work for the party’s success during the last area council election in order to maintain a good image before Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, has not helped us and we now regret our actions, “the statement said.

The statement further observed that the indigenous people seemed not to be relevant in the scheme of things as the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, takes major decisions without consulting them.

The group, however, urged the stakeholders to ensure the trend was reversed in the interest of peace and equity.