The Delta State Police Command has arrested 32 suspected cultists and recovered firearms, ammunition, communication equipment, and illicit drugs during separate intelligence-led operations aimed at combating cult-related activities across the state.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and Command Anti-Cultism Unit (CACU) carried out the operations following credible intelligence.
According to the statement, the first operation took place in the early hours of June 16, 2026, when VCRU operatives stormed a suspected cult initiation ground in Agbarho.
The police said intelligence reports indicated that members of the Eiye Confraternity, allegedly linked to recent cult-related killings in Agbor, were planning further acts of violence and the initiation of new members.
Upon arriving at the location, the operatives reportedly came under gunfire from some of the suspects. The police team responded, resulting in two suspects sustaining gunshot injuries.
The operation led to the arrest of 25 suspects, while several others escaped. Recovered exhibits included one pump-action shotgun and one cut-to-size firearm.
The injured suspects are currently receiving medical treatment, while investigations are ongoing.
In a separate operation conducted on June 14, 2026, operatives of the Command Anti-Cultism Unit raided a suspected criminal hideout in Azagba-Ogwashi.
The raid resulted in the arrest of seven suspected cultists identified as Obore Ndubrisi, 26; Okafor Okene, 25; Odinigie Sunday, 26; Okohur Destiny, 21; Felix Abraham, 25; Aputa Israel, 27; and Okolie Chinonso Peter, 24.
Police recovered one double-barrel gun, two live cartridges, quantities of substances suspected to be Indian hemp and Tramadol, as well as a walkie-talkie from the suspects.
The suspects and exhibits are currently in police custody as profiling and further investigations continue.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, commended the gallantry and professionalism displayed by the operatives involved in the operations.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to tackling cultism, violent crime, and other criminal activities across the state, stressing that efforts to ensure the safety of residents would remain unwavering. #Securitynewsalert.com
