Police Arrest 11 Over Suspected Cult Initiation Near UNICAL
The Police Command in Cross River has arrested 11 male suspects over alleged cult initiation activities near the Engineering Department of the University of Calabar (UNICAL).
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday in Calabar.
Eitokpah said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Satellite Town, Calabar, conducted the operation at about 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, following a distress call from the university.
He said the operatives, working with the university’s internal security personnel, cordoned off a nearby bush where the suspected initiation was reportedly taking place.
The police identified the suspects as Ogar Favour, 25; David Akpa, 27; Gift Emmanuel, 24; Aaron Favour, 24; David Abubu, 25; Victor Emmanuel Eyibo, 26; Oghenemaro Hendrix, 24; James Ede Joseph, 22; Charles Ekeng, 21; Edu Nkanu, 26; and Ogabor John Odey, 24.
According to the spokesman, the operatives recovered a Lexus 350 saloon car, reportedly abandoned by an individual who fled the scene, and three motorcycles during the operation.
He said the recovered items had been secured while investigators worked to establish whether they were connected to the suspected cult-related activity.
Eitokpah said the police were also investigating the suspects to determine their individual roles and the circumstances surrounding the reported incident.
He quoted the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ajo Ordue, as reaffirming the command’s commitment to tackling cultism and other violent crimes through intelligence-led policing and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
The command urged members of the public to provide credible information to help prevent crime and protect lives and property.
Eitokpah said investigations were ongoing, adding that the suspects remained innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
