BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Benin City, Nigeria – Operatives of the Intelligence Rapid Response Squad of Edo State Police Command have foiled cult-related killings and arrested two members of the state Vigilante Group and a tipper driver in Benin City.
The two vigilante commanders, Bright Amadin, 34 and Stanley Omoregie, 27 were paraded along with one Brown Amadin,29 a tipper driver also said to be a member of Manphite.
Police stated that the trio were picked during a swoop which preceded intelligence that a cult gang, Manphite confraternity, had plotted to unleash violence on their rival cultists to mark their 511th anniversary in Benin City.
Items paraded as exhibits recovered from the suspects were one pump action gun, three live cartridges, Edo Security Network ID cards bearing the two suspects names and faces, white shirts and other insignia police alleged belong to Manphite cult group.
The Public Relations Officer, Edo State Police Command SP Chidi Nwabuzor disclosed this while parading the suspects before journalists in Benin City, weekend.
“On 11/05/2023 the Officer of Command Intelligence Rapid Response Squad received information that some cultists who are members of Manphite secret cult confraternity had planned to converge in an undisclosed location in Benin City to carry out attack on their perceived rival secret cult members and to forcefully initiate innocent citizens in order to mark their anniversary.
“Immediately, the operatives commenced technical intelligence in order to foil their plans, and on 12/05/2023 at about 023hrs, the operatives arrested three of the member cult, at Okabere community, Upper Sokponba road, Benin City”, SP Chidi Nwabuzor stated.
In their various responses, the three suspects admitted membership of Manphite confraternity but denied any plot to kill anybody.
They said that they were returning from a night party tagged “Marley Night or 511” when police intercepted their car and arrested them.
Brown Amadin who claimed to be a member of Edo State Tipper Drivers Association, Oka route said he was not aware that the pump action gun and ammunition were in the car they were in.
Bright Amadin explained that the gun and ammunition found in his car belong to his vigilante group operating in Egun Community, near Benin City.
He stated that he had left the party that night in response to his commander’s call to go and handle security issue in Egun community when police stopped them and found the gun and ammunition in his car.
Attempt to obtain comment from authorities of Edo State Security Network failed.
When contacted, personnel of the network who promised to find out and respond appropriately to our reporter is yet to do so at press time.
Authorities of Edo State Tipper Drivers Association in Benin City could not be reached.
