Police officials attached to the Edo state police command have arrested 11 students of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU) in Ekpoma over their alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy, cultism, and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms.
According to the state's spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the suspects were arrested in July across different locations in Ekpoma by the force’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
He explained that the students were arrested after the force gathered credible intelligence on the activities of cult groups in the area, adding that during investigations, they confessed to being members of a secret cult, the Black Axe confraternity.
Adejobi added that items recovered from the suspects include: two AK47 riffles, three pump action shortguns, one locally made pistol, two AK47 magazines, and 22 live rounds of AK47 ammunition.
Others are 17 rounds of K2 live ammunition and three live cartridges.
