Police nab 31 suspected cultists in Delta

POLICE operatives in Delta State have arrested no fewer than 31 suspected cultists at Oghara, Ethiope West and Okpanam, Oshimili North local government areas.

The state’s police spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe, who confirmed the arrest, told newsmen in Asaba on Tuesday that 15 of them were arrested in their hideout while another 16 with a female gang member were arrested at the point of initiation of new members into their folds.

According to Edafe: “On March 12, 2021 around 10.25 p. m. Commander, State anti- Cult Unit ( SACU), SP Igbaji Christopher, acting on credible information, dispatched SACU operatives to Sapele and raided a notorious cultist hideout in Oghara, and 15 suspected cultists were arrested and raps of substances suspected to be cocaine was recovered while a cult group called Aye Confraternity was initiating new members at a nearby bush, Obogba village Okpanam, where the initiation was to take place, 15 male suspects and one female suspect were arrested. One Toyota Camry car was recovered.

“On March 15, 2021 around 12.40p. m. The Divisional Police Officer ‘ A’ Division,

Warri, CSP T. Y. Mahmud acting on intelligence over a period of time, a serviceable G- 3 rifle with No. ET77645 with f15 rounds of live ammunition was recovered behind uncompleted building used as a worship center along Warri/ Sapele road by the garage opposite Wema Bank.”

T HERE are no fewer than 2,300 gully erosion sites in the five states of the South East region, says House Of Representatives spokesman, Benjamin Kalu.

Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, told newsmen that of the 2,300 sites, about 700 were in Anambra State, 400 in Enugu, 450 in Imo, 350 in Ebonyi and 300 in Abia. He recalled that the erosion menace, which was also affecting his constituents, partly prompted his first motion in the House in June 2019 as a fresh national lawmaker.

Describing erosion as a challenge in the South East, he added that it was also the greatest impact of climate change in the region.

According to him, about four kilometres of land in Amankalu Alayi was affected by gully erosion, which destroyed farmlands and displaced people. He also cited Etiti Ulo, Itumbuzo Road, which suffered same fate.