SP Bright Edafe, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Delta State Command in Nigeria
The Delta State Police Command has arrested eleven suspects cultists, recovering firearms, ammunition and dangerous weapons in separate intelligence-led operations.
According to the command’s spokesman, Bright Edafe, the latest operations, carried out by tactical teams of the command, form part of ongoing efforts to curb criminal activities and improve public safety in communities across the State.
Edafe hinted that the operatives of the Buffalo Patrol Team on May 14, 2026, at about 11:09 a.m., acted on a distress call and raided a suspected cultists’ hideout located at Eagle Square along Okpanam Road in Asaba.
The location, he said, was believed to be used for cult-related activities and gatherings by suspected criminal elements operating within the area.
During the raid, security operatives arrested seven male suspects and two female suspects. Recovered from the scene were a Beretta pistol, a battle axe and a cutlass believed to have been used for violent operations and intimidation.
He, however, disclosed that the suspects, alongside the recovered exhibits, have been transferred to the Command Anti-Cult Unit for further investigation and possible prosecution.
In a separate operation carried out earlier the same day at about 9:00 a.m., operatives attached to the Safer Highway Patrol Team intercepted a Lexus Jeep with registration number KWL 139 CY during a routine stop-and-search exercise along the Ughelli–Patani Road.
Police identified the driver as Felix Ike. A thorough search of the vehicle reportedly led to the recovery of an English-made pump-action gun and forty rounds of live cartridges concealed inside the vehicle.
The suspect was immediately taken into custody while investigations continue to determine the source of the firearm and the intended use of the ammunition.
The police command reiterated its commitment to sustaining aggressive operations against cult groups, armed criminals and other violent offenders threatening peace and security in the state.
He advised residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information that could aid ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.
