Police foil cult initiation in Anambra, arrest six suspects, seize weapons

In a swift and strategic operation, the Anambra State Police Command has successfully disrupted a cult initiation ceremony in Nawfia, Njikoka Local Government Area.

The police apprehended six suspects and recovered various dangerous items, including weapons, charms, and a Lexus SUV.

According to a statement released on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, by the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operation was based on credible intelligence. Acting promptly, officers stormed the scene of the initiation ritual at about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 15.

The arrested suspects, all young men between the ages of 20 and 30, were caught in the act and taken into custody without incident. The police also confiscated several items believed to be used for the illegal ceremony, among them locally made weapons, fetish objects, and the SUV.

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Among the items recovered from the scene were one Jojef pump-action gun, two live cartridges, two cutlasses, a golden-coloured Lexus SUV with registration number ATN 202 AE, charms, a cap bearing the Supreme Vikings confraternity insignia, a pair of scissors, some hard substances, and other incriminating items.

The suspects were identified as Nwadike Chibuike, Anierobi Precious, Raphael Ebube, Ezechi Benjamin, Okafor Chidera, and Chiema Okoye. SP Ikenga confirmed that the arrested individuals are currently undergoing interrogation to uncover further details about their activities before being formally charged to court.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to fighting cultism and other related crimes, warning that security agencies will not relent in their efforts to rid the state of criminal gangs and their harmful practices.