About 500 cult members in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, Monday renounced their membership of various cult groups allegedly involved in violent crimes and other criminal activities in some parts of the State.
The event, which was organised by the State Security outfit known as Bayelsa Volunteer headed by Comrade Douye Koroye, was organised as part of the effort of the State Government to give second chance to members of cult groups to renounce and avoid lengthy jail term if arrested.
Comrade Koroye explained that the Bayelsa Volunteer with the assistance of the State Government decided that the only proper way is to give youths a second chance at peace and proper lifestyle. “nobody will victimize anybody. We are here to renounce cultism and do the right thing. ”
The Leader of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Hon. Peter Akpe, explained that the decision by the State Assembly and the Governor Seriake Dickson administration to pass the Bill amending the 2012 anti-cultism law was based on the need to strengthen the police to arrest and prosecute suspected cultists. According to Akpe, ”
nobody is interested in killing any repentant youths of the state. As you denounce, it ends your era of shame and evil. Cultism will not take you anywhere.
Cultism is for the weak minded youths. Anything you take by shedding blood will be taken from you by shedding your blood. ” Also speaking, the Chairman of the IYC, central Zone, Tari Porri, argued that it’s imperative for the Youths of the state to shun cultism and focus their energy at emerging a political force by contesting elections into local government councils and state assemblies in 2019.
Porri told the repentant youths that the umbrella body of Ijaw Youths under his leadership has resolved to support any Ijaw youths interested in buying for political positions in 2019,” but what the IYC will not do is involved themselves in the case of cultism or cases of any Ijaw youths arrested by the police over membership of a cult group. ”
The process of renunciation was witnessed by the Leader of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Peter Akpe, the Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Oil and Gas/Bayelsa Volunteer, Hon.Bonny Ayah, the Special Adviser on Scholarship and Hon. Jeremiah Owoupele.
Also in attendance were the Chairman of the State Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee, Engr. Igofo-Enieni Samson, the Chairman of the Ijaw Youths Council (central zone), Comrade Tari Porri and the Special Adviser on Security, Spirro-Jack. Meanwhile, authorities of the Bayelsa State Police Command have confirmed the arrest of a 16-year-old girl, for allegedly supplying arms and ammunition to a gang of cultist led by her boyfriend, who rob residents in Yenagoa.
The spokesman of the command, DSP. Asinim Butswat, said in statement on Monday that the arrest followed counter security measures code-named ‘Operation Safer Bayelsa’ put in place by the command to confront violent crimes in the state.
He said the gang which the girl supplied and kept deadly arms for, had been terrorising residents and robbing them of their belongings, adding that the young men opened fire on security personnel in Azikoro, Yenagoa. The incident, which happened on Sunday morning, led to the death of one of the suspects, while another was severely wounded.
According to the statement issued by the spokesman of the command Butswat, “On April 8, 2018, at about 0200hrs, the command control room alerted the Azikoro Divisional Police Anti-Robbery Team that armed robbers were operating behind Azikoro Health Care Centre, Azikoro, Yenagoa”.
“The team responded swiftly and met about three daredevil armed robbers on the spot, the robbers engaged the police in a gun duel, police exchanged fire and gunned down one of the robbers and injured another.”
“The team recovered one locally made cut-to-size gun, two live cartridges, eight mobile phones some jewelry and some cash,” Butswat said. The command identified the victims of the robbery attack as Iprebo Ayebanengiyefa, 40 years, one Awubare, 39-year and one Sunny Peter, 42, all males who have identified their valuables among those recovered from the suspects.
“One of the suspects identified as Selepamodei Ogili, 23 years, a jailbird has died as a result of the gunshot wound, the other suspect one Kimipanipre P. Franklin AKA Castro ‘m’ 22 years, a final year Political Science Student of Niger Delta University (NDU), was wounded.
“He confessed that they are members of Bobos cult group, the third suspect is at large and effort has been intensified to arrest him. Further investigation has led to arrest of one the 16-year-old girlfriend of the deceased suspect who is allegedly their armourer,” Butswat said.
Cultists continue to terrorize the state even as NGOs and security operatives intensify their campaigns against cultism with their recent operation being the broad daylight robbery at the famous UP market in Yenagoa. A gang of robbers numbering 12, armed to the teeth had stormed the market and carted away people’s belongings worth millions of naira, on April 1st, 2018.
