Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Cross River State Police on Wednesday recovered three human skulls from 55 suspected
cultists it paraded for Cultism and sundry crimes at the Headquarters of the Command.
Parading the suspects, Commissioner of Police, Cross River State, Abdulkadir Jimoh told Newsmen that the security architecture of the command has been rejigged to put the police
ahead of criminals in the state.
He said: “On Monday I got information that suspected cultists were driving dangerously,
hoisting the black and red flag disturbing the peace along Goodluck Jonathan Road and
driving towards 8 Miles. They were seriously pursued and intercepted at 8 Miles.
“When they were arrested and brought to the Headquarters, we have 51 of them in number.
Forty-six are males and five are females. The suspects confessed to be cultists from
Akpabuyo local government en route to Akwa Ibom.
“Upon searching them, three fresh human skulls were recovered from their masquerade
regalia. Two Hiace buses, two motorcycles, five machetes, and three red flags with human
skulls drawn on them were recovered from them.
“They all confessed to being members of Nnabor Confraternity and they were the people
responsible for the series of kidnappings and other vices in Akpabuyo local government and
by extension some parts of Calabar Municipality.
“The Command will undertake a forensic analysis of the skulls to determine whether they
belong to some of these people that have been declared missing or some off the victims they
have killed in heinous crimes. They have been profiled and the will face the wrath of law,” he
said
Explaining further he said the security architecture of the command has been rejigged for
effective service delivery which he said was now yielding harvest of criminals.
His words:”Prior to my arrival there had been complaints about insecurity such as
kidnapping, cultism and other vices in the state. One of the disturbing local governments in
my brief which I received in Abuja and here is Akpabuyo.
“Most of the kidnap cases are reported from Akpabuyo local government. As aa result of this
I decided to conduct a security survey on Sunday (August 16, 2020). I went to see things for
myself, interviewed some people, met with agents of government and the police.
“The information they gave me I have upgraded it into to actionable intelligence that a group
of people are planning to disrupt the peace of the state or Abia. They will move to another
state to cause mayhem under the guise of cultural troupe.
“This is a strong warning to heads of various cult group operating in state to have a positive
change of mental attitude and turn a new leaf or face the full wrath of the law when caught
as he will not hesitate to deal decisively with these heartless group of persons no matter their
connections.
In the same vein, four other suspects were also arrested for Cultism by the Operatives from
Anti kidnapping/ Cultism and during interrogation, all of them confessed to be members of
Vikings Confraternity.
Speaking to Newsmen,one of the suspects, Mike Okon Asuquo said there was barely a
masquerade troupe adding that he was born into it.
Asuquo said: “All these masquerades, I was born to see them from our great grandparents. I
don’t know anything about human skulls.
“We took this masquerade from our community town hall. We rented it from the owner who is
a member of the village. The masquerade is a tradition of the Efik. My community when they
have occasion they play this masquerade. We went to a burial at Obot Akara in Akwa. The
human skull is part of the tradition,” he said.
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