The Delta State Police Command has arrested an unidentified suspected cultist for attempting to purchase an AK-47 rifle from a kidnap gang for N1.3 million. The arrest occurred during a sting operation at a hotel where the suspect was negotiating the arms deal.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Edafe Bright, the Police Spokesman for the Delta State Command, confirmed the arrest and detailed the circumstances surrounding it.
Explaining the incident in a video on his Instagram handle, Edafe said, “The suspect was trying to buy an AK-47 as part of the requirement to become the leader of the Vikings Confraternity. He believed owning the rifle was necessary to become ‘number one’ of the cult group.”
SP Edafe also revealed that the suspect had been involved in internet fraud, commonly known as ‘Yahoo Yahoo,’ for several years. “He has made significant amounts of money from fraudulent activities, sometimes up to 8 million Naira, which he planned to use to fund the arms purchase,” Edafe added.
The suspect was arrested during negotiations with the kidnappers, who had agreed to sell him the rifle. SP Edafe stressed that the police were committed to dismantling cult groups and illegal arms networks in the state, adding that further investigations into the kidnap gang were underway.
Read also: Your name shouldn’t be used to cause unrest in Rivers, Royal fathers urge Tinubu
When interrogated, the suspect admitted to the charges. “I was arrested because I wanted to buy an AK-47,” he said. He explained that the rifle was a key requirement for becoming the number one leader in the Vikings Confraternity.
He also confessed to managing a car wash as a cover for his internet fraud operations. “I’ve been involved in Yahoo Yahoo for a while and sometimes made up to 8 million Naira, which I shared with others in my circle,” the suspect stated.
Reflecting on his involvement in cultism, the suspect acknowledged the futility of the lifestyle, saying, “There’s no joy or pleasure in cultism. I realize now that it leads nowhere.”
The police have intensified efforts to arrest other members of the kidnap gang and further crack down on cult-related activities in Delta State.
