Cultism: Police Nab Varsity Don …Parade 40 Robbery Suspects

L-R : President, Council for the regulation of Engineering in Nigeri (COREN), Mr Kashim Ali, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and President, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Mr Ademola Olorunfemi, at the 24th Engineering Assembly of COREN in Abuja on Tuesday.

In its bid to flush out criminal elements in Rivers State, the State Police Command has arrested a Senior Lecturer with Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rumuolumeni near Port Harcourt, Dr. Gideon Nwokocha for allegedly sponsoring a cult group in his Okposi Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the State.
Before his arrest, Nwokocha was the paramount ruler of Okposi Community and also the Head of  Department, Integrated Sciences at IAUOE.
The State Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike disclosed this while parading the University Don along side with 40 others at the Police Headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt,Wednesday.
Ezike told journalists that on 1st and 3rd of August, 2015 the University lecturer and two others were arrested for sponsoring cult activities in their Community, adding that they organised and taxed members of the Community, and thereafter illegally collected the sum of N1 million.
According to the State Commissioner of Police, the money was donated to one Don-Wali a notorious leader of the Kelander cult group.
The State Police boss also said that the 30 Operational vehicles donated to the Command have been put to use and deployed to strategic junctions and locations identified as flash points, to maintain static postions in the state, adding that they are combat ready to react to incidents within their operational vicinity and respond to distress calls.
“The operatives have undergone deployment training and have been briefed on the use of fire arms in accordance with Force Orders. Dedicated telephone numbers have been procured for all vehicles and very soon, shall be inscribed on each vehicle for easy public communications.
“Members of the public are enjoined to cooperation with the teams and also give credible and useful information to aid their operations”, he stated.
Meanwhile, the Police has also paraded a 300 level Computer Science Student of Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, Precious Okwudili from Ubahaumumum, Okija in Ihiala LGA Anambra State who was arrested for allegedly impersonating an aged retired school teacher that he was suffering from heart-related ailment and swindling N3 million from his prey for his surgery in an undisclosed hospital.
Ezike said out of the amount, only N812,000 was recovered from him when it was discovered that he was lying and had no heart-related aliment as alleged.
He further told journalists that 33 persons were arrested for armed robbery and cultism, among whom are three University of Port Harcourt students, Nwachinemere Benjamin, Osaki Bob and Reginald Seribo, adding that two locally made pistols, four live cartridges, one kitchen knife and one table knife and charms were recovered from them by men of the SARS on 28th of July.
He used the opportunity to commend Rivers people for their efforts so far in the support of and goodwill to the Police.
Speaking to journalists earlier, the IAUOE lecturer denied ever sponsoring any cult-group in his community, alleging that the Police and the JTF in Onelga were aware of the agreement reached with cult groups with the community.