The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested 10 suspected cultists over a violent attack in the Obele area of Ovom, Yenagoa, which left one person dead and three others injured.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Iyamah Daniel, said the suspects were arrested during a raid carried out after residents raised an alarm that armed cult members were attacking people and robbing them of their phones and other valuables.
According to police sources, the incident occurred on Sunday night when the suspected cultists allegedly invaded the Obele community, shooting indiscriminately and dispossessing residents of their belongings.
The attackers were said to have encountered resistance from a group of scrap metal scavengers popularly known as “Iron Condemned,” who refused to surrender their phones and valuables.
A resident said the confrontation turned violent after the scavengers challenged the armed group.
“The boys were on a massive raid. Many residents were caught unawares, while others ran into their houses for safety. The ‘Iron Condemned’ boys resisted handing over their phones, and this infuriated the cult boys, who started shooting,” the source said.
One of the scavengers later died in hospital after sustaining gunshot injuries, while three others survived and are receiving treatment.
Police said the arrest of the suspects followed a coordinated operation in the area as part of efforts to track down those responsible for the attack.
CP Iyamah assured residents that the command would ensure everyone involved in the incident is brought to justice.
He also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing useful information to security agencies to help tackle cultism and other violent crimes in the state.
The police commissioner reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, stressing that criminal elements would not be allowed to operate freely in any part of Bayelsa State.
