Etim Effiong
Police in Akwa Ibom have arrested 20 suspected cultists, including their leader, and rescued one Ita Inyang, a 70-year-old man.
The arrest followed an alleged murder and desertion of villages caused by cult clashes in Inen clan of Oruk Anam Local Government Area of the state, involving three communities.
It was gathered that cult rivalry between Iceland and Debam confraternities in Inen Ikot Eteye, Ikot Inyang and Inen Ikot Owuk villages in Oruk Anam led to the death of a 27-year-old Ubong Okon, a suspected member of Iceland confraternity, while the whereabouts of a 25-year-old Ememobong Isaiah, a suspected member of Iceland cult group said to have been attacked, remains unknown.
Following the incident, some cultists went on the rampage, forcing most villagers to flee their homes to neighbouring villages for safety.
However, the police have freed one Ita Johnson Inyang, 70 from the hideouts of his abductors also in Oruk Anam.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP N-Nudam Fredrick, in a statement on Friday, said 19 other cultists had been arrested.
He said, “On July 19, around 10:00 am, the police command received an upsetting report of pandemonium, which was caused by cult rivalry between the Iceland and Debam confraternities in Inen Ikot Eteye, Ikot Inyang and Inen Ikot Owuk villages in Oruk Anam LGA.
“Following the incident, one Ubong Okon, ‘m’, 27 suspected to be a member of Iceland confraternity was shot dead, while the whereabouts of one Ememobong Isaiah ‘m’, 25, a suspected member of Iceland cult group, who was allegedly attacked, is unknown.
“Consequently, the tactical teams deployed to the area by the Commissioner of Police on July 19, operated in collaboration with the Oruk Anam Division, arrested a prime suspect, one Ukandie Okon Udo Ibanga ‘m’, of Inen Ikot Owuk village, who has been a wanted person in the command for armed robbery and murder.
“Normalcy has since been restored to the affected areas.
“In another coordinated manhunt for the hoodlums on 22nd July 2020, 19 suspected cultists were arrested. Two double-barrel shotguns were recovered from the hideout of the hoodlums.
B“The Commissioner of Police while reassuring the people of Inen Clan of police constant operation in the area to forestall cultism, asked them to denounce cultism and continue to cooperate with the police teams deployed in the area by volunteering useful information on the hideouts of other suspects.”