Abia State Police Command on Monday in Umuahia, Abia State capital paraded suspected cultists, armed robbers and others accused to be involved in snatching cars of their victims at gun points.
The State Police Commissioner, Anthony Ogbizi told journalists that the suspects were arrested in different parts of the state through intelligence report, while others were arrested at the scene of the crime.
Leader (Capo) of the Black Axe confraternity, Princewill Okechukwu, a final year student of Political Science in ABSU was also among the people that were paraded by the Police Commissioner.
The Police Commissioner added that the suspects would be arraigned in court as soon as investigation was concluded.
A female cultist and final year student of Political Science at Abia State University, ABSU, Uturu, 22 year old Chika Ogwalachi reportedly confessed that she was arrested in the vicinity of an initiation exercise in one of the student lodges off the campus by a cult group.
Ogwalachi who was paraded with two other male members of the same fraternity said her boy friend who also is a cult member had asked her to wait for him at the scene of the initiation before her arrest.
She further explained that while waiting for her boyfriend, one of the boys gave her a parcel which the boy friend reportedly asked her to collect and keep for him.
According to her, she didnโt know that the parcel contained Indian Hemp. This is even as she denied having knowledge that the boy friend was a cult member.
โWe just met recently and he promised that because of me he will leave the cult. It was while I was waiting that the police came out and asked what I was doing there.
โI told them that I was waiting for my boyfriend. They seized my bag, searched it and found the parcel. They unwrapped it and saw it was hemp. That was how they arrested me,โ she said.
Also paraded was 23 year old final year student of History and International Relations, Salvation Chialu. He confessed that he was arrested during initiation. He said that while the other older cult members escaped he was caught by the police.
Chialu, a native of Awkuzu, Anambra State said he was tricked into cult by people who came to him as friends. โI was buying something for them to keep them at bay but three days after my exam as I was packing my clothes, they came into my room and ordered me to follow them.
โWhen I saw the fierce look on the face of one of them I hesitated then he used a machete and cut my hand.โ He however failed to connect the attack with the initiation angle.
Okechukwu told newsmen that he was arrested in the exam hall while writing his final examination.
He admitted that he was the leader for only two weeks but that those opposed to his emergence as the new leader planned his arrest.
He said he was aware that the items recovered from his room were dangerous weapons which they use for cult activities.
Okechukwu, from Isuikwuato council area of Abia state, admitted that seven live cartridges, a dagger, a machete and Black Axe black and red uniform were recovered from him.
Also paraded was Uchenna Okorocha. Okorocha who said that he was arrested when the police searched his house in Aba following the report of his masterโs brother.
Okorocha said he spent his masters money on MMM and other gambling engagements but when he could not give proper account of pay back after stock taking his masters brother invited the police to arrest him with the aim of recovering the money.
