80 Youths tagged cultists arresred, others convicted, scores counselled by Anambra Police

www.odogwublog.com reports that the Commander of the Special Anti Cultism Squad , SPACS , of the Anambra State Police Command, Mr. Christopher Bassey, has said

that no fewer than 80 cultists have been convicted and scores

allegedly counselled within four months of his stay in office as

SPACS commander.

Mr Bassey reiterated that parents should monitor the company their

children keep stating that most of the arrests were influenced by hard

drug addiction to commit crimes .

His words, "we will not spare any cultists caught because the hard

drugs they take influence them to be nuisance and commit all sorts of

crimes to the  society .

Some of them are lured into crime by criminal kingpins who want to use

them to achieve their selfish interest. They will provide them with

arms, hard drugs and money which will influence them to go into crime"

"We have been able to send about 80 to prison through the

instrumentality of the courts while scores have been counselled and

some are presently being counselled" he revealed.

"We have in cell now two brothers from Nkwelle- Ezunaka, Oyi local

Government Area, we will soon arraign them in court because they are

cultists' kingpins and the elder one, called Emeka who is married

lured his sibling may be because of money they feel they get not

knowing that they are being influenced by hrd drugs"

"They have reportedly been terrorizing their community and environs

until now that we arrested them that the people sleep with their two

eyes closed."

"We will continue to play our own role and if the court says otherwise

by freeing suspects I will just wash off my hands and know that it is

court that says so"

All I know is that Governor Willie Obiano has through our

Commissioner, Mr Sam Okaula, equiped us to fight crimes and you can

see that today Anambra is the safest state in the country an we will

maintain the tempo"

On the allegation that they torture suspects to dance to their tune he

said "here in SPACS we don't torture suspects, what we do is to screen

them and from there we fish out the core cultists and those who are

under age and partially involve we counsel and monitor  them."

"The type of counsel we render to them makes them to realize that the

crime they involve themselves into will instead of being beneficial to

them will  rather send them to prison or lose their lives.

"Some of them after regaining their freedom will come back to us and

thank us for the counselling and vowed to be of good behaviour" he

added further.

On the areas cultism is more pronounced he said, "bulk of them are in

Obosi, Nkpor, Ogidi, Awada and partially at Inlandtown Onitsha"

"We are very much prepared to deal with the cultists