The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has confirmed the arrest of nineteen suspected cultists following a violent gun duel in Bakassi Yimitu Village, located in the Apo-Waru axis of Abuja.
The suspects were apprehended during a joint security operation carried out on Wednesday, July 24, 2025, amid mounting concerns from residents over increasing cult-related violence in the area, according to a press release issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh on Friday.
She explained that the operation was part of a crime prevention patrol led by the Police and supported by local vigilantes and hunters. The team encountered a suspicious gathering, believed to be linked to the reported cultists, who immediately opened fire upon sighting security operatives.
A gunfight ensued, leading to the arrest of 19 suspects while others fled with various degrees of injuries. A police officer and a local vigilante also sustained serious injuries during the confrontation and were rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.
“Shortly after the initial encounter, the fleeing suspects reportedly regrouped and launched a retaliatory attack on the Waru Police Outstation, where their arrested accomplices were being held. In a brazen attempt to free the detained suspects, the assailants vandalized parts of the police facility, three patrol Hilux vehicles, and six privately owned vehicles parked within the premises.
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Condemning the attack, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ajao S. Adewale, psc, mnips, described it as an act of aggression against the state and vowed that the Command will not relent until all members of the violent cult group are apprehended and prosecuted.
“The FCT Police Command will not tolerate any form of assault on its personnel or formations. Such acts will attract the full wrath of the law,” CP Adewale warned.
He further reassured residents of the Command’s unwavering commitment to public safety, urging members of the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity.
The FCT Police Command called on residents to assist in the ongoing investigation and support the crackdown on criminal syndicates by reporting useful information via the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08028940883
