DPO threatens as Police nab 4 masked cultists in Asaba

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

ONITSHA—The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in-charge of C Division, Asaba, Delta state, Mr Emmanuel Ogbuanya, has vowed that officers and men of the division would not rest on their oars until some undesirable elements who have been terrorizing inhabitants of Jaret and Cable Point areas of Asaba are completely wiped out from the area, based on his new detective strategies.

Police Inspector General, Solomon Arase

Ogbuanya who sounded this note of warning weekend while inaugurating a vigilante outfit that would take care of Obumseli, Nwuga,Ogbolu, Abagana and Ijeh streets in Asaba, disclosed that based on the strategies, has been able to arrest four out of 30 masked cultists who have been terrorizing the residents of the area.

He therefore, warned parents to monitor the companies their children keep as they would not be spared when caught over their involvement in cultism or other criminal acts.

The DPO who said he had just been transfered to C Division, warned cultists, kidnappers and assassins to vacate the area to avoid meeting their waterloo.

According to him, “before I came in here, the residents did not have rest as a result of the negative of cultists who had have taken over the area but now I want some level of quietude henceforth”.

He charged the vigilance group to work in collaboration with the police and avoid detaining suspects becuase they don’t have the right to do so but to always hand such suspects over to the police with immediate effect, warning, do not bring dead or half dead person to me to carry. You will be held responsible for your illegal actions”.

Expressing satisfaction with the concerted efforts of both the police and vigilance group in fighting crime in the area, DPO urged the vigilance outfit to avoid acts capable of dragging the image of the outfit to ridicule.

Earlier in his address, the chairman of the security outfit, Mr Ejike Onwa had declared:”once it is 6.30pm you see people running to get inside their houses because of fear of these cultists numbering about 30 that attack the people, adding, it is because of these cultists that the five streets of Obumseli, Nwuga, Ogbolu, Abagana and Ijeh came together and formed security outfit to fight them and it has been yielding dividends as eight of them were arrested and handed over to the police so far before the take over by the new DPO”.

Flanked by his secretary, Mr. Okafor Henry, the chairman added that the cultists who attack the residents with guns, machetes, knives, charms, clubs and axe, confessed they were members of red carpet, black axe and trigger boys.

Contributing, an activist attached to Campaign for Democracy, CD, comrade Igweze Benjamin urged parents in the area to monitor their children and know the type of company they keep, adding that now that security

outfit has been inaugurated by the DPO, no cultist would be spared.

Also speaking, the councilor representing the ward, Hon. Chike Arinze disclosed that he was attacked by the cultists adding, “but some of those that attacked me were arrested”.He warned that he would not listen to any parent that comes to him for the release of his child if caught in cultism.

DPO threatens as Police nab 4 masked cultists in Asaba