By Godwin-Maria Utuedoye
Police in Sapele, Delta State, have arrested an alleged sponsor of a deadly cult that have been terrorizing residents of Sapele and environs in recent time.
DSP Bright Edafe, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, in an electronic statement disclosed that following the incessant cult clashes in Sapele, Oghara and some other parts of the State, the Commissioner of Police Delta State CP, Ari Muhammed Ali, deployed tactical teams to Sapele to restore sanity in the affected areas.
He stated that acting on credible intelligence on January 23, the combined team of the Command Special Anti-Cult Unit (SACU), Operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) and men of Operation Delta Hawk, storm a hotel were the alleged sponsor of Aro bagger cult group and also an active member of the group, one Chief Joseph Ologbo ‘m’ 37yrs of Otor Community in Sapele LGA, a renowned suspected financier and member of Aro Bagger cult group was arrested.
He said when search was extended to his fully tinted Toyota Thundra Van, one unlicensed pump action gun, two live cartridges, one expended cartridge, and an Aro Bagger cult regalia were recovered. The suspect has made useful statement and will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.
In a similar development, Operatives of Decoy Squad led by ASP Julius Robinson on January 22, acting on a credible intelligence on a syndicate who specializes in defrauding unsuspecting victims of their hard earned money, the operatives stormed Ogwashi-Uku town and arrested the following suspects; (1) Allison Louis ‘m’ 27yrs a native of Numan LGA of Adamawa state, (2) Sunday David ‘m’ 22yrs a native of Oturkpo Benue state, (3) Peter Akagbai ‘m’ 20yrs from Umuokwe Quarters of Ogwashi-Uku and (4) Chibuzor Elumeze ‘m’ 23yrs from Ogbenta-Obi Quarters in Ogwashi-Uku.
Exhibit recovered from the syndicate includes one (1) tricycle, fifteen (15) different bank ATM cards. In the course of investigation, the suspects confessed to a series of fraud committed within Ogwashi-Uku and Asaba metropolis with POS operators and filling stations as their major victims.
The suspects stated that they go to filling stations, POS operators and super markets, purchase items and also make withdrawals with the ATM cards and then call their banks and give a false complaint that the transaction was not successful. The banks without due investigation will then wrongly debit the victims and credit the accounts of the suspects. They have so far defrauded their various victims several millions of naira. Investigation is ongoing.