The Edo State Police Command has announced the arrest of four suspected cultists following a series of house-to-house raids conducted across Auchi and its environs.
The operation, carried out on Saturday, 22 June 2025, was led by the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit in collaboration with officers from the Jattu and Auchi Divisions.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer for Edo State Command, CSP Moses Joel Yamu, the suspects were identified as Musa Murphy, 25, of No. 35 Ogeneni Area, Jattu, a member of the Arobaga Confraternity; Gabriel Moses, 25, of ECocota Community, Auchi, a member of the Aye Confraternity; Michael Ayo, 23, of No. 1 Emeke Uzuire, Auchi, a member of the Eiye Confraternity; and Philip Sunday, 24, of Ebira Camp, Auchi, a member of the Vikings Confraternity.
According to police intelligence, the suspects are believed to be responsible for a spate of cult-related violence that has plagued Auchi and its surrounding communities.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to tackling cultism across the State. He assured the public that the suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.
“Edo State will no longer be a safe haven for cultists,” CP Agbonika stated, warning that the police will continue to pursue those responsible for fomenting violence and terrorising local communities.
