No fewer than 121 suspects were arrested during police clampdown on suspected cultists planning to celebrate a cult programme tagged 7/7 Day Celebration in Benue and Plateau states.
The 7/7-Day Celebration is a cult-related activity where suspected members of the Aiye confraternity often initiate new members and which is often marred by violence and killings.
PUNCH Metro gathered from separate statements from the Benue and Plateau Police commands that the suspects were arrested at different locations in the states.
Parading some of the suspects at the Plateau State Police Headquarters in Jos on Monday, the Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, noted that 118 suspects were arrested on July 7 for cult activities, being their day of celebration and initiation of new members.
He added that credible intelligence and collaboration with other security agencies led to the arrests made at different locations in 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 number of 118 suspects were apprehended.
“From yesterday till 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.”
Adesina concluded that the suspects would be paraded upon the conclusion of an ongoing investigation.
In Benue State, some youths were reported to have lined up a programme to mark what they described as the ‘AYIE Cultism Day celebration on Sunday, July 7, 2024, in the ancient town of Gboko.
Part of the activities lined up to celebrate the occasion, according to an intelligence report leaked to security men, was the initiation of new members.
It was gathered that some youths in collaboration with security men who worked on intelligence reports went from street to street to round up the suspects.
A source, simply identified as Jiji Jack based in Gboko, told our correspondent that some volunteer youths collaborated with policemen to fish out the suspects who had gathered 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, being 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 youth leader in Gboko who did not want to be mentioned told PUNCH Metro that the reason they mobilised their members to comb the streets of Gboko and fish out suspected cultists was to avert anything that could disrupt the peace in the ancient town.
“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 the 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 and 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 nothing of such activities take place in Gboko.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Benue State Command, Catherine Anene, said three suspects were nabbed.
“Three suspects were arrested in Gboko and investigation is ongoing,” Anene said in a terse statement.
