Three brothers and a Turkey-based businessman were paraded alongside three other suspected notorious secret cult members by the police in Edo State on Tuesday.

Edo State Police spokesman, Mr Chidi Nwanbuzor, who paraded the suspects at the Edo State Police headquarters gave the names of the three brothers as Raphael Osagie, 16; Iguma Osagie, 19 members of Eiye Confraternity; and Innocent Osagie, 20, a member of the dreaded Jurist Confraternity.

The Turkey-based Nelson Onaiwu, 34 who admitted that he belongs to the Neo Black Movement (NBM) however insisted that his association is not a violent confraternity but a social organisation whose members stand up for themselves in times of trouble.

The other three suspected cultists include Osamuyi Imafu, 25 of the Black Axe; Kelvin Okungbowa, 24 of the Maphite; and Ikponmwosa Ekhator who also belongs to the Jurist.

The Osagie brothers however denied their involvement in the latest series of killings in the Edo State capital over supremacy fight between the rival cultists.

Nwanbuzor said that the suspected cultists were nabbed in different parts of Benin.

He said: “The police have arrested over 30 suspected violent secret cultists lately while over eight persons have been killed in less than two weeks. The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro is determined to rid the state of cultists.”

He assured that the suspects will be docked once the police concludes investigations. (Nigerian Tribune)