The Abia State Police Command has declared that cultism and other criminal activities will not be tolerated in the state.
This warning was issued by the Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, in a statement released on Wednesday through the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka. The statement revealed that 17 suspected cultists had been apprehended across the state.
According to the police, all the suspects are males between the ages of 18 and 28.
Items recovered from the suspects include “five (5) short guns, three (3) live ammunition, thirteen (13) mobile phones of different makes, two (2) cutlasses, one (1) axe, and one (1) black beret”.
The police explained, “Following the recent upsurge in cult-related activities in the State, including the attack on 13/05/2026 at No. 29 Brass Road, Aba, where a young man was shot and macheted to death by a group of suspected cultists; and the attack on 24/05/2026 at Ehere, near Opobo Junction, where another young man was shot by suspected cultists”.
It further stated, “The Abia State Police Command, leveraging on actionable intelligence, took the fight to the criminals. Operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), who successfully apprehended seventeen (17) suspected cultists linked to the aforementioned incidents in Aba, Abia State.
“The suspects were arrested at their various meeting points and while en route to perpetrate further crimes and the above-listed exhibits were recovered from them. Investigation has been concluded and the suspects are being charged to court.”
Isa reaffirmed the command’s dedication to its constitutional responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, as well as preventing and combating crime across the state.
He assured residents that “there will be no hiding place for cultism and other criminal activities in the state”.
The commissioner also urged residents to support law enforcement efforts. “While the Command continues its awareness campaign through the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) unit in schools and communities, members of the public are advised to partner with the Police by reporting any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station”, CP Isa advised.
Cult-related violence continues to pose security challenges in some parts of Abia State, especially in commercial centres such as Aba, where clashes between rival groups have at times led to fatalities, injuries, and property damage.
To address the situation, the police have stepped up intelligence-driven operations and expanded public sensitisation campaigns through the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), aimed at discouraging young people from joining cult groups and reducing associated criminal activities.