The Delta Police Command has ordered the arrest of a fleeing suspected cultist who was found with a gun in Asaba, the capital of the state.

The Delta Police spokesperson, DSP Bright Edafe, on Monday in a statement said the armed suspected cultist evaded arrest on Saturday, August 26, 2023.

Edafe said that a police patrol team attached to ‘C’ division Asaba in a combined effort with vigilantes while on patrol around the second Niger bridge sighted a young man carrying a sack bag, the suspect on noticing the police took to a flight leaving behind the sack bag.

When the bag was searched, one AK-47 rifle was recovered and efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspect.

Edafe also said that on Thursday, August 24, 2023 at about 0245 hours, operatives of the Command’s Raiders squad led by DSP Akanya Agboga stormed a criminal hideout along Isa-Ogwashi-Uku Aniocha South LGA (Local Government Area), where some suspected cultists were holding their initiation ceremony.

The suspects on sighting the police took to their heels in a different direction and escaped, upon search of the premises, one locally fabricated Berretta pistol, and four rounds of live ammunition were recovered.

Edafe added that the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, CP Wale Abass PSC has urged members of the public particularly parents and guardians to pay close attention to their wards and discourage them from engaging in cultism and other vices.

“Crime does not pay and the command will do all it takes to ensure that crime does not thrive in the State,” Edafe said.

“The CP also appeals to members of the public to help the police with any useful, timely, and credible information that will help the command eradicate crime in the state on these control room numbers: 08036684974, 08125958005, 09053872287 and 09155570007.” (The Guardian)