Police arrest two suspected cultists and recover locally made guns in Bayelsa

Officers from the Bayelsa State Police Command arrested two suspected cultists in Yenagoa.

Command spokesperson SP Asinim Butswat, who disclosed in a statement on Sunday, November 13, 2022, identified the two suspects as Kingsley Okiloli and Endurance Akpeni.

The PPRO said they were arrested in the Swali neighborhood of Yenagoa by police officers, following a distress call indicating that two rival sectarian groups were involved in a clash.

Butswat said five locally made pistols and four live cartridges were recovered from the suspects.

He said Akpeni was shot and injured by the rival gang and is currently receiving treatment at the police clinic.

“On November 10, 2022, at approximately 4:30 p.m., police officers responded to a distress call of a clash between rival sects in the Swalli community, Yenagoa,” the statement read.

“Upon arrival, the police dislodged the cult members and arrested a 22-year-old Kingsley Okiloli ‘m’ and 23-year-old Endurance Akpeni ‘m’. A locally made pistol and an actual cartridge were recovered from Kingsley Okiloli, while that Endurance Akpeni had suffered a gunshot wound from the rival cult gang.

“After questioning the suspects, police officers went to their hideout in the Swalli community and recovered four more locally made pistols and three live cartridges.

“Endurance Akpeni is responding to treatment at the police clinic in Yenagoa. An investigation is underway to arrest other fugitive cult members.”