One of the infamous cultists connected to the recent murders in Port Harcourt’s Diobu axis has been taken into custody by Rivers State Police Command agents.
A united team of police officers working with members of the Diobu local vigilante group captured the culprit, 36-year-old Diseiye Ukulu, a native of Bayelsa State who lived at Nnewi Street, Diobu, Port Harcourt. SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, called the arrest a significant development in a statement released on Wednesday.
She said it was in accordance with Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju’s order to purge the state of criminal networks.
According to SP Iringe-Koko, “the operation was intelligence-driven and focused on the ongoing inter-confraternity clashes between the D12 and BS cult groups, both affiliated with the notorious Dey-Gbam cult, which has been linked to the recent killings in Diobu”.
The statement added that following Ukulu’s confession, operatives raided the residence of Achionu Solomon Chukwuma, popularly known as Solex, and recovered “one Scorpion VZ61 submachine gun, one locally fabricated English-made Beretta pistol, 20 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, two rounds of 9mm live ammunition, and a pair of sunglasses containing a concealed screwdriver”.
Iringe-Koko stated that the suspect and recovered exhibits are in police custody, while discreet investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the cult group.
The Commissioner of Police, Adepoju, reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to bringing all perpetrators of crime in the state to justice.
He also urged residents to provide timely and useful information to assist police operations.
