17 suspects arrested by police over murder in renewed cult clashes in Bayelsa
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Police in Bayelsa have arrested 17 suspected cultists over their alleged involvement in the murder of two graduates of Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma sequel to the upsurge in violent cult clashes in the state.
The suspects were nabbed on Friday night along the Tombia-Amassoma road in Yenagoa Council; among them four suspected cyber fraudsters popularly known as ‘Yahoo-boys’ for allegedly sponsoring the killing of the new graduates.
Daily Post quoted an anonymous police source as disclosing that the suspects were arrested following a stop and search operation on the road by a Rapid Response Squad (RRS) headed by a Chief Superintendent of Police.
Upon receiving police radio alert of the incident, which occurred in the Gbarantoru area, off Amassoma road, the RRS squad mounted a stop and search on the road and was rewarded when a Suzuki minibus was stopped.
“We saw over 13 boys cramped inside with blood stains on few of them and machetes stained with blood. The police immediately suspected they were the ones that carried out the killing,” the source said.
Police questioned the suspects and discovered that they had gone to the crime scene in two minibuses. “One developed a fault while they were escaping, so they decided to abandon it and use one minibus.”
Bayelsa Police Command spokesman Musa Mohammed confirmed that “Yes, some major arrests have been made and the command is investigating.”
One of the two graduates killed was identified as Ayaokpo Sinclair from Tombia community, but the identity of the other could not be immediately ascertained.
Local sources said both victims were awaiting their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) call-up letters when they were attacked.
Parts of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, have in the past week witnessed sounds of gunshots suspected to be between rival cult groups.
On Sunday morning, two rival cult gangs threw the popular commercial hub of Swali into confusion with a heavy exchange of gunfire in which one person was killed.
However, a senior police officer assured that Police Commissioner Francis Idu and his men are working around the clock to stem the violence.
He said: “We are working seriously to end this nefarious cult clashes and bring those involved to book. We have made many arrests and the state government has also provided support and warned politicians to steer clear of influencing police investigation. Those arrested will face the law.”
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