Police in Anambra State, Southeastern Nigeria, say they have killed the leader of a deadly cult group in Nkpor, a community in North Idemili Regional Government from the country.
The police spokesman in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, said two members of the cult group were also arrested.
Mr Ikenga, the deputy superintendent of police, said the incident happened on Tuesday when the police raided a hideout in the area.
A police spokesman said the raid on the suspects’ hideout came after receiving “credible intelligence.”
He named the suspects as Kaleb Nwankwo, 22, Katchi Nwolisa 23, and Freedom Okechukwu, the leader, who was killed by the police.
‘How a cult leader was killed’
Mr. Ikenga said the suspects, when they saw the operatives, started shooting indiscriminately to escape from the scene.
He said “the police engaged armed hoodlums in a gun battle,” which resulted in the killing of the cult leader, Mr. Okechukwu, before the arrest of two others who suffered gunshot wounds.
“They all admitted to being members of the Viking Confraternity and identified the late Okechukwu as the leader,” Mr Ikenga said.
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A police spokesman said the slain cult leader had been involved in cult-related killings in the community and Obosi, a neighboring community in the council area.
The slain cult leader, according to the police, was also actively involved in the cult attack and the killing of two Obosi Community residents – Chimeile Udemba and Ikenna Nwagbulu – on December 1 and 14.
Two locally made pistols, a motorcycle, spent cartridges, amulets, face masks and materials suspected to be hard drugs were among the items recovered from the hoodlums during the operation, police said.
Recovery of other weapons
Mr. Ikenga said the police recovered some weapons and ammunition from a suspected criminal gang operating along the Estate in the same community.
A police spokesman said operators raided the suspect’s location in response to a distress call about activity in the area.
One locally made pistol, a motorcycle and spent cartridges were recovered from the suspects during the operation, according to the police.
“The suspects, when they saw the police officers, abandoned the things they had found and then retreated. The best effort is to arrest the attackers,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Echeng Echeng, has ordered the area commander of the divisional police officer and the commander of the Tactical and Operational Unit/Formation of the police in the state to begin “crime prevention patrols and aggressive visibility” in the area, Mr. Ikenga. said.
Mr. Echeng said that this will enhance “policing strategies that have been implemented efficiently and dynamically to respond to emergency and security issues and prevent unwanted activities by criminals.”
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