Police kill cultist in gun duel
(Nigeria) The Imo State nPolice Command in Owerri said on
Monday that one person was killed and several others seriously injured when
police operatives swooped on alleged cultists terrorising members of the Egbu
Community in Owerri.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Mr Dave
Akinremi, made this known during a news briefing at the command’s Headquarters
in Owerri.
He also said that several other alleged cultists were
arrested during the raid which resulted in a gun duel.
Akinremi said the suspects were arrested sequel to
information that 15 members of the group were having a meeting near Egbu Girls
Secondary School.
He said that upon receiving the information, operatives of
the command immediately swung into action, leading to an exchange of gun fire.
Akinremi said that three of the suspects had gunshot wounds
and were arrested while others escaped.
He said one Chimaobi Iheme (a.k.a Saka), identified as the
head of the cult group, gave up the ghost while receiving treatment.
He said that the suspects arrested at the scene included
Chinwekene Opara (25) and Tochukwu Amarikwa (24).
The DCP said the suspects have made useful statements and
confessed to being members of a cult known as Neo Black Movement (a.k.a Black
Axe).
According to him, items recovered from the suspects included
three locally made pistols, seven live cartridges, four expended cartridges,
two cutlasses and one hand axe.
Other items were six GSM phones, one Keke NAPEP and one
motorcycle.
Akinremi urged members of the public to assist the police by
providing useful information about criminal activities.
He also urged parents to warn their children and wards
against engaging in criminal acts, stressing that the police would continue to
work assiduously to ensure that peace reigned in the society.
One of the suspects, Amarikwa, who claimed to be an HND 1
student of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, confessed to newsmen that he was a
member of the gang.
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