The Edo State Special Taskforce on Anti-Cultism announced on Thursday that it has made a significant arrest.
A butcher, who is also a high-ranking member of a cult group in the state, was taken into custody.
Chris Nehikhare, the State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, revealed this on behalf of the taskforce while parading 11 captured cultists in Benin City.
According to Nehikhare, the cult leader and five other suspects were apprehended at the Ekosodin axis in the Ovia North East Local Government Area.
He added that on August 7, 2024, the taskforce detained three suspected cultists in the Auchi Polytechnic community.
He further revealed that on August 10, 2024, following a large show of force within Benin City, the taskforce attacked a hotel in Upper Sakponba where suspected cultists were meeting and captured two individuals at the scene.
According to the commissioner, the suspects are presently being held in custody while investigations continue.
He stated that the squad had made multiple arrests of key cult members across the board based on meticulous intelligence gathering.
Nehikhare stated that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s taskforce is led by the Department of State Services, DSS.
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He noted that the taskforce was formed in response to an increase in cult killings that had taken the lives of numerous young people around the state.
“Since the inauguration of the taskforce, it has demonstrated unwavering commitment to rid Edo State of cultism.
“Initial efforts focused on education and persuasion, engaging with communities and stakeholders to dissuade the youths in particular from joining cults.
“A total of eleven suspects are currently in custody and investigations are ongoing. Let it be clear: this is just the beginning.
“We have a long list of targets, and the taskforce will stop at nothing until every last cultist is brought to justice. No one is above the law. No political, religious, ethnic, or social standing will protect anyone involved in cult activities.
“Governor Obaseki has made it clear that the newly enacted anti-cultism law will be enforced to its fullest extent.
“The Edo State Special Task Force on Anti-Cultism is empowered to crush all cult-related activities and enforce the ban on the notorious Okaighele groups. We will not rest until Edo State is free from the clutches of cultism,” he said.
The commissioner ordered all cults to renounce their associations, warning that those who refused to do so would face the full force of the law.
He also urged parents to be vigilant and direct their children away from the path of destruction, stating that the Edo State administration, led by Governor Godwin Obaseki, is committed to restoring the state’s peace and security.
