The Sokoto State Police Command has successfully apprehended three suspected members of the notorious 'Sai Malam' cult group in an intelligence-led operation conducted on Friday.
Intelligence Operation Nets Suspected Cult Leader
According to police authorities, the operation was executed by the command's Anti-Kidnapping Unit and resulted in the arrest of the alleged gang leader Usman Shu'aibu along with two other suspects. The police action came in response to growing public concerns about the group's criminal operations in various parts of the state.
DSP Ahmad Rufa'i, the Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed that during interrogation, the suspects admitted to being initiated into the cult through a private WhatsApp platform known as Red Chamber.
Digital Recruitment Channel Uncovered
Further police investigation revealed that the social media channel was specifically created to recruit unsuspecting young people into various criminal activities. The platform was being used to lure vulnerable youths into ritual practices, pursuit of demonic powers, acts of homosexuality, and violent thuggery.
The police have issued a strong warning to parents across Sokoto State, urging them to closely monitor their children's online activities. Criminal groups are increasingly exploiting digital platforms to target and recruit young people into illegal operations.
Police Assurance and Ongoing Operations
Commissioner of Police Ahmed Musa stated that the arrests directly address public safety concerns regarding the cult group's activities. He emphasized that security forces are continuing their efforts to track down other fleeing members of the organization.
The Commissioner reassured residents of the command's commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven policing strategies aimed at safeguarding lives and property throughout Sokoto State.
In a separate incident in Ondo State, police operatives have arrested two suspected hoodlums for allegedly stabbing a police inspector to death in Akure. The suspects, identified as Shina Jacob, 25, and Felix Olalekan, 32, reportedly attacked the officer during an altercation at Oke-Arata within the Arakale axis.
This tragic incident occurred just days after a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was similarly stabbed to death by a mentally unstable man in the Oba-Ile area of Akure.
According to eyewitness accounts, the area descended into panic following the stabbing, with residents and traders fleeing the scene. The police inspector, who had recently been transferred from the Anti-Cultism Unit to B-Division, was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment.
Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer Olayinka Ayanlade confirmed that Commissioner of Police immediately deployed a team of operatives to the scene, leading to the swift arrest of the two suspects connected to the incident.
