Communities declare support for anti-cult campaign
The Bayelsa State Police Command has intensified its crackdown on cult-related activities following the arrest of more than 20 suspects across the state.

The operation, ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Ajao Saka Adewale, has seen police operatives deployed to Swali, Akenfa, Down Yenagoa, Agudama and other communities identified as hotbeds.

According to the police, the operation is aimed at disrupting cult groups, preventing clashes and apprehending persons suspected of involvement in cult-related violence.

Police sources said divisional police commands, supported by tactical teams, had made several arrests and curtailed the activities of suspected cultists in parts of the state.

The command also said some known suspects had been arrested, while efforts were ongoing to track down others believed to be involved in cult-related activities.

Following the police operations and warnings against harbouring suspected cult members, some community leaders and youths in Swali, Agudama, Akenfa and other communities have reportedly begun publicly distancing themselves from cult groups.

However, a separate police operation in the Onopa area of Yenagoa has generated controversy, with some residents alleging that officers attached to the anti-cult team carried out indiscriminate arrests and shooting.

The residents also alleged that the police officer who shot a young man during the operation, as well as an informant who reportedly identified the victim as a member of the Vikings cult and accused him of selling illicit drugs, were allegedly members of a rival cult group known as Bobos.

The allegations could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

The aggrieved residents called on the Commissioner of Police to investigate the allegations and determine whether any police personnel were involved in cult activities or acted outside their official duties.

The young man, who was reportedly operating a point-of-sale (POS) business and was accused of selling illicit drugs, was shot during the police operation on Tuesday.

Police authorities, however, said the young man survived the shooting and was receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.

The command also dismissed reports that the victim had died, describing such reports as untrue.

The police have not publicly confirmed the allegations that the officer involved in the shooting or the informant belonged to a rival cult group.

The latest police operation followed renewed cult-related violence in Yenagoa, where no fewer than five people were feared killed at the weekend.

The clashes, according to sources in the affected communities, reportedly began on Friday between rival groups identified as Bobos and Greenlanders.

The violence was said to have affected areas including Agudama, Obele and Back of St Peter’s in the state capital.

Sources also alleged that the renewed violence had disrupted a peace agreement previously reached among various cult groups under the former leadership of the state police command.

In response to the violence, the Commissioner of Police ordered intensified operations against cultism and cult-related violence across the state.

According to the police, Adewale directed Divisional Police Officers and tactical commanders to increase patrols in vulnerable areas, identify emerging threats and respond promptly to credible intelligence concerning planned clashes, initiation ceremonies and recruitment activities.

The commissioner also warned that the police would not spare anyone found to be involved in cult-related violence.

Meanwhile, community leaders and youths in Swali, Agudama, Akenfa and other parts of the Yenagoa metropolis have reportedly begun house-to-house searches for persons suspected of belonging to cult groups, in collaboration with the police.

The community mobilisation followed the circulation of a viral video purportedly showing a young man being attacked by suspected cult members in the Agudama area.

The video reportedly sparked outrage among residents and renewed calls for action against cult-related violence.