Four suspected members of a notorious cult group “Black Axe” have been arrested during a cult initiation ceremony for new intakes.
The state spokesperson, SP Ahmed Wakil, in a statement on Friday said the initiation rites were taking place on the outskirts of Bauchi, opposite the Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa University, Gubi Campus, along Kano-Bauchi Road, on September 2, 2023, at midnight.
Operatives of the Bauchi Police Command acting on intelligence, swooped in and apprehended the suspected cultists in the act.
The suspects were identified as Eric Nuhu, 23, a 500-level student of ATBU, Zaharaddeen Hassan, 19, a National Diploma One student of Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Felix John, 24, a Higher National Diploma One student of Federal Polytechnic Bauchi and Daniel Masaka of Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
According to Wakil, the first and second suspects confessed during interrogation to having been invited by one of their classmates named Abbas Apeh ‘m’, a 500-level student of the same ATBU, and were initiated into the cultism group.
He added that the third and fourth suspects confessed to having been members of the cult group for a long time, adding that they were invited by their group members to join the initiation event of the newcomers.
The Police PRO noted that efforts are in top gear to arrest the fleeing accomplices, after which the suspects will be charged to Court.
In other news…
CorrectNG reported that a man identified as Sanni Ayuba was arrested for allegedly parading himself as a military officer deployed to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The alleged fake soldier was said to have prevented officers of So-Safe Corps from arresting a group of suspected cultists in the state.
Ayuba was apprehended after it was discovered that he “used fake military ID card and insignia to hijack suspected cultists in Ogun.”
The State Commander of the Corps, Soji Ganzallo, in a statement, described Sanni’s act of impersonation as an attempt to tarnish the reputation of the military.
According to the statement “As the imposter forcefully intervened to stop the arrest of some wanted cult boys at Adigbe, Opako in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
“But to the corps dismay, Sanni Alhaji Ayuba, who was at the scene, flashed a military Identity card and stopped the officers from performing their security duties and the suspects were hijacked; they escaped with handcuffs.”
It was gathered that the So-Safe Corps was said to have arrested two suspected cultists and handcuffed them so as to convey them to the station. Ayuba and two other men who claimed to be Naval officers were said to have left the scene in a hurry.
Ganzallo explained that the fake soldier was later arrested and thoroughly investigated, but the two who claimed to be Naval officers escaped. He noted that the suspect had confessed to having been impersonating as a military officer.
Items recovered from the suspect include one Army camouflage scarf, one fake Army ID card, one jack knife, one Itel phone, three ATM cards, one WAEC ID card, one dog chain with arms pendants and other items were recovered from the suspect.
