BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Assistance of the International Criminal Police Organization ( INTERPOL) has been sought to hunt down and arrest fleeing patrons of warring cult groups terrorizing Edo State, as the State government-led renewed fight against criminal activities particularly cult-related killings advances.
The Commissioner of police (CP) in the state, Funsho Adegboye gave the hint during the week.
The COMPOL also stated that since the beginning of the ongoing onslaught the police Command has made good number of arrests forcing their financiers to flee.
He frowned at the situation where sponsors of cult groups arm youths to unleash terror but only for them to flee when the violence erupts.
“We are harvesting a lot of cultists with their arms, sponsors. Yes! I want to emphasize this, their sponsors are on the run, it is quite sad that you armed people when it happens you vamoose.
“We have been directed from the force headquarters and we are working hand in hand with Interpol, we are tracing them, very soon our efforts will yield positive results.
CP Funsho Adegboye disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun who has been uncomfortable with Edo cult disturbances ordered a total clampdown on perpetrators irrespective of their societal standing.
The police chief further stated that apart from the aggression against cultism the State police Command had also embarked on sensitization of university environment to dissuade youths from going into cultism.
Cult-related killings have become an embarrassing reoccurrence in Edo State with Benin City the capital, known as the epicenter of the bloodbath.
To check the menacing cult-related violence, the Edo State government passed the Anti-Cultism law just as it set up a special task force to combat cultism in the state.
The government, however, announced that the state has lost over 150 persons to cult-related activities in the past five months.
Governor Godwin Obaseki told journalists after a closed-door meeting with security Chiefs in Edo State, at the Government House in Benin City, on Monday, June 3, 2024:
“We have just finished the Security Council Meeting where we reviewed the security situation in Edo State since January 2024 with particular emphasis on the security activities in Edo in May 2024.
“From the security management report which was considered in our security meeting, we still have a nagging issue in Edo State which is cultism. The incidence of cultism is very high.
“What is particularly worrisome about cultism is the related homicide that goes with cult-related activities. From January to date, we have lost over 150 people to cult-related activities and homicide. We can’t tolerate and accept this situation anymore.
“The Council today, amongst its decisions, has decided to go full blast against cultists and cultism in the State. We have now passed an anti-cultism law in Edo State and that law will be implemented to its fullest.”
“We have set up a special task force of the security council headed by the Director of DSS that will from tonight review every cult related occurrence in the State. We will look at all the data, incidents, perpetrators, and those behind these activities, and will make all resources available and leave no stone unturned.”
