The Abia State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of 17 suspected male cult members, aged between 18 and 28, in a continued crackdown on cult-related violence across the state.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday night, noting that the suspects were picked up from different locations, including known meeting points, while others were intercepted en route to allegedly carry out criminal activities.
Authorities also revealed that the operation led to the recovery of several items, including five short guns, three rounds of live ammunition, 13 mobile phones of various brands, two cutlasses, one axe, and one black beret.
According to the police, the arrests were prompted by a recent spike in cult-related violence in Abia State, particularly a deadly attack recorded on May 13, 2026, at No. 29 Brass Road, Aba, where a young man was reportedly shot and macheted to death by suspected cultists.
The Command also referenced another incident that occurred on May 24, 2026, at Ehere, near Opobo Junction in Aba, where a separate young man was shot by suspected cult members.
“The Abia State Police Command, leveraging on actionable intelligence, took the fight to the criminals. Operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit ,VCRU, successfully apprehended seventeen (17) suspected cultists linked to the aforementioned incidents in Aba, Abia State”, she stated.
The police further stated that investigations into the cases have been concluded and the suspects will be arraigned in court.
Reaffirming its commitment to public safety, the Command said that under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, CP Danlandi Isa, it would not tolerate cultism or other violent crimes in the state, adding that Abia remains unsafe for criminal elements.
