.I was arrested while waiting for my boyfriend – Suspected cultist
A suspected female cultist, who is a final year student of Political Science, Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, Chika Ogwalachi, said that she was arrested in the vicinity of an initiation of cultists in one of the off campus student lodges.
The 22-year-old Ogwalachi, who was paraded yesterday with two of her male partners, said that her boyfriend asked her to wait for him at the scene of the initiation.
She explained that while waiting, one of the boys gave her a parcel, which the boyfriend whose name she did not mention asked her to collect and keep for him. But unknown to her, the parcel contained Indian hemp.
Ogwalachi said that she met her unnamed boyfriend recently but he promised that he would leave cult group because of her.
Her words: “It was while I was waiting that the police came and asked what I was doing there. I told them that I was waiting for my boyfriend. They seized my bag, searched it and found the parcel. They unwrapped it and saw it was hemp. That was how they arrested me.”
Also paraded was a 23-year-old final year student of History and International Relations, Salvation Chialu.
The suspect confessed that he was arrested during initiation.
He said that while the other older cult members escaped, he was caught by the police.
Chialu, from Awkuzu, Anambra State, said that he was tricked into cult by people who came to him as friends.
He said: “I was buying something for them to keep them at bay but three days after my exams, as I was packing my clothes, they came into my room and ordered me to follow them. When I saw the fierce look on the face of one of them I hesitated then he used a machete and cut my hand.”
Also paraded was the leader (Capo) of the Black Axe Confraternity, Princewill Okechukwu, also a final year student of Political Science in ABSU.
Okechukwu said that he was arrested in the exam hall while sitting for his final examination. He admitted that he was the leader for only two weeks but that those opposed to his emergence as the new leader planned his arrest.
The suspect said that he was aware that the items recovered from his room were dangerous weapons which they used for cult activities.
Okechukwu, from Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, admitted that seven live cartridges, a dagger, a machete and Black Axe black and red uniform were recovered from him.
Parading the suspects, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Anthony Ogbizi, said that the cultists and other suspects were arrested at the scene of the crime.
According to him, they will be charged to court at the end of investigations.
The police also paraded a suspected IPOB member, Uchenna Okorocha.
Okorocha said that he was arrested when the police searched his house in Aba following the report of his master’s brother.
The suspect said that he spent his master’s money on MMM and gambling but when he could not give proper account after stocktaking, his master’s brother invited the police to arrest him with the aim of recovering the money.
He said: “But when the police took me to my house for a search, they discovered the IPOB insignia and other items.”
Okorocha confessed that he had been IPOB member since he was in Onitsha, Anambra State before relocating to Aba, Abia State.