Edo State’s intensified war against cult violence escalated at the weekend after a special security operation swooped on multiple hideouts in Uromi, arresting 31 suspected cultists and issuing a seven-day ultimatum to fleeing ringleaders to surrender or face decisive state action.
The coordinated raids, carried out on Sunday under the State Government’s “Operation Flush Out Kidnapping and Cultism”, followed a brutal confrontation between rival gangs on 13 November that left one person hospitalised with severe injuries. Intelligence reports linked the clash to a dispute over a fraudulent financial transaction, prompting the rapid mobilisation of state forces.
Led by the Chief Security Officer and Principal Security Officer to Governor Monday Okpebholo, and backed by the Uromi Divisional Police Officer, local vigilantes and the Nigerian Army, the joint team stormed locations across Osigbemhe Lane, Arue Street and the Ewoyi axis. Suspected members of the Black Axe and Eiye confraternities were arrested in the sweep.
Recovered items included battle axes, charms, drugs, cult insignia and other materials allegedly used in the recent fracas, strengthening the case against the suspects now in police custody at the Area Command Headquarters in Uromi. Properties linked to two prime suspects—identified only as Gift and Ache—have been sealed as the manhunt intensifies.
Squad Coordinator, Idemudia Noah, who confirmed the arrests, said the operation was based on “credible and actionable intelligence”, adding that the scale of youth involvement was “deeply troubling”. He warned that the Government may begin legal action against parents whose underage children are found engaging in crime.
One of the suspects, Nathaniel Kingsley, arrested at Ewoyi-Uromi, denied being a cultist despite officers recovering a battle axe—an emblem of the Black Axe confraternity—from his residence. He admitted only to involvement in internet fraud, a claim now under police review.
Noah reiterated the State Government’s zero-tolerance stance, stressing that all those arrested will face full investigation and possible prosecution. “Edo State will not serve as a haven for criminals. We are committed to safeguarding our communities and restoring public confidence,” he said.
With a show of force across Edo Central Senatorial District rounding off the sweep, the Government’s message is unmistakable: a sustained crackdown is underway, and those still in hiding have one week to turn themselves in—or be flushed out.
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