By BASSEY WILLIE, Yenagoa

The Bayelsa State Police command has announced the arrest of the ring leader of a cult group, who attacked and killed four members of a new generation Church in Azikoro village in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital on Wednesday night.

Though, the identity of the suspected ring leader was not disclosed by the police authority, the spokesman for the command, SP Asinim Butswat, in a statement on Friday, said the suspect was arrested on Thursday, August 6, 2020 and have already confessed to have committed the crime.

He said: “Operatives of Operation Puff Adder, Bayelsa State Command, have arrested the ring leader of the cult group who attacked the Lion of Judah Deliverance Church Azikoro, Yenagoa on 5th August, 2020.

“The gang leader, who was arrested on 6 August, 2020, later confessed to the crime and took the Police team to a hideout, where an AK 47 riffle and 10 rounds of ammunition used in the operation was recovered in the early hours of today [Friday].

“The suspect is cooperating with the Police in the investigation.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Mike Okoli fsi, has deployed additional detectives to fish out the other fleeing gang members,” said.

According to Butswat, investigation is still ongoing

The attack

Gunmen had invaded the Pentecostal church and killed four worshippers. The hoodlums, who stormed the Church at about 11 pm on Wednesday, also set a nearby house ablaze.

The spokesman of the Bayelsa State Police Command had said the command’s operatives had already launched a manhunt for the killers. He said: “The Bayelsa State Police Command have launched a manhunt for the suspected cultists who murdered four victims and set a house ablaze.

“On 5th August 2020, at about 2300hours, armed suspected cultists stormed the ‘Lion of Judah Church’ Azikoro village, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, shot dead four church members namely; Alfred Marcus 30 years, Imomotimi surname unknown 25 years, Gabriel Ejimofor 45 years and Uchechukwu Ejimofor 38 years and set ablaze a nearby building, damaged a vehicle and the church property.

“Operatives of operation Puff Adder had earlier traced the hideouts of the cultists in the bush, dislodged them, and burnt their camp.

“It is believed that this is a reprisal attack by the suspected cultists.” (Daily Trust)

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