- Sokoto Police Arrest Suspected Cultists, Uncover WhatsApp Recruitment Channel
- Ayanlade said the officer was taken to the hospital after the attack but died while receiving treatment.
- Police urged parents to monitor the online activities of their children
The Sokoto State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of the notorious Sai Malam cult group, believed to be responsible for a surge in criminal activities across parts of the state.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the suspects, including the alleged gang leader Usman Shu’aibu, were arrested on Friday in an intelligence driven operation carried out by the command’s Anti Kidnapping Unit.
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According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, the suspects confessed that they were initiated into the group through a private WhatsApp platform known as Red Chamber. Police investigation later revealed that the online channel was created to recruit unsuspecting young people into various criminal acts.
The group is said to be involved in ritual activities, the pursuit of so called demonic powers, acts of homosexuality and violent thuggery.
The police urged parents to monitor the online activities of their children, warning that criminal networks are increasingly using social media to lure vulnerable youths.
Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Musa, said the arrests were in direct response to public complaints about the operations of the group. He added that efforts are underway to track down other fleeing members.
He reassured residents of the command’s commitment to strengthening intelligence based policing and protecting lives and property across the state.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested two suspected hoodlums for allegedly stabbing a police officer to death in Akure, the state capital.
The suspects, identified as Shina Jacob, twenty five, and Felix Olalekan, thirty two, allegedly attacked the inspector during an altercation at Oke Arata in the Arakale area.
The killing of the officer occurred just days after a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps was stabbed to death by a mentally unstable man in the Oba Ile area of Akure.
According to eyewitnesses, panic swept through the area after the inspector, who was recently transferred from the Anti Cultism Unit to B Division, was attacked. Traders and residents reportedly fled in fear.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ondo State, Olayinka Ayanlade, said the officer was taken to the hospital after the attack but died while receiving treatment.
He said, “An altercation began between the officer and some recalcitrant individuals, during which the officer was stabbed. This unfortunate incident prompted an immediate and coordinated police response.
“Acting quickly, the Commissioner of Police sent a team of operatives to the scene, and two suspects who were directly linked to the attack were arrested. They are Shina Jacob, twenty five, and Felix Olalekan, thirty two.
“The injured officer was rescued and rushed to the hospital, but despite every attempt to save him, the inspector passed away while receiving treatment. The follow up operation conducted last night was part of the Command’s continuous effort to eliminate violent criminal elements and prevent further breaches of public safety.”
