A 14-year-old girl, Chidinma Iheoma, and five other suspected cult members have been arrested by the operatives of the Imo State Police Command for beheading a man, Oguegbu Ofurum, for alleged ritual purpose, reports we brought you sometime around September.
Update on the case says the men who sent her to transfer the head to a shrine in Ohaji for an initiation ceremony has been arrested.
The operatives were said to have nabbed the suspects while they were taking the severed head to a shrine at Assa community in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area allegedly for an initiation ceremony.
The Police Public Relations officer in the state, Andrew Enwerem, a Superintendent of Police, in a statement on Sunday said the breakthrough was as a result of the determination of the state Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, to stamp out cultism in the state.
Enwerem disclosed that the suspects, who were members of the “dreaded Deegbam cult in the Ohaji/Egbema LGA of the state were arrested on September 26 by the operatives of the command in connection with the murder of one Oguegbu Ofurum.”
The police spokesperson said investigation revealed that the suspects killed the victim on September 8.
He said, “The suspects are members of the dreaded Deegbam cult in the Ohaji/Egbema LGA and were arrested on September 26 by the operatives of the command in connection with the murder of one Oguegbu Ofurum.
“Investigation revealed that on September 8, while the suspects were carrying out their initiation, the victim was returning from the market and ran into them.
“The suspects seized the victim, took him into the bush and killed him. Investigation is ongoing. “Enwerem, who said the suspects had made “useful statements,” explained that the CP had taken the war against cultism in the state to tertiary institutions and villages.
Enwerem said, “The CP, Chris Ezike, has energised the anti-cult unit of the state police command for effective delivery.
“The CP has deployed specially trained operatives to institutions and communities, where there are upsurge in crime-related activities, especially cultism, with the mandate that such groups should be dealt with.
“The CP is partnering faith-based organisation, the media and community leaders to make sure that cultism and all forms of criminality are wiped out of the state.”
Other suspects arrested, according to the police spokesperson, are Lekwuwa Ogbuji, Ikechukwu Amaechi, and Clement Onyema.
– Punch
