The suspects were arrested at their various meeting points and while en route to perpetrate further crimes
By Emeka Uche
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Published on June 4, 2026
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2 min read
The Nigeria Police, Abia State Command, has arrested 17 suspected cultists at different locations, warning that there is no place for cultism and other crimes in the state.
In a statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, on Wednesday, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Danladi Isa, disclosed that all the suspects are males between the ages of 18 and 28 years.
According to the statement, the exhibits recovered include “five short guns, three live ammunition, 13 mobile phones of different makes, two cutlasses, one axe, and one black beret.”
The statement further noted that, “Following the recent upsurge in cult-related activities in the state, including the attack on 13/05/2026 at No. 29 Brass Road, Aba, where a young man was shot and macheted to death by a group of suspected cultists, and the attack on 24/05/2026 at Ehere, near Opobo Junction, where another young man was shot by suspected cultists.
“The Abia State Police Command, leveraging actionable intelligence, took the fight to the criminals. Operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit successfully apprehended 17 suspected cultists linked to the aforementioned incidents in Aba, Abia State.
“The suspects were arrested at their various meeting points and while en route to perpetrate further crimes, and the above-listed exhibits were recovered from them.
“The investigation has been concluded, and the suspects are being charged to court,” the command stated.
Isa reiterated the command’s dedication to its constitutional duties of protecting lives and property, as well as preventing and detecting crime in the state.
He assured residents that there would be “no hiding place” for cultism and other criminal activities in the state.
“While the Command continues its awareness campaign through the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices unit in schools and communities, members of the public are advised to partner with the Police by reporting any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station,” Isa advised.
