A total of 56 suspected cultists in Calabar and Ogoja, Cross River State have been arrested with human skulls.
Newsnaija learned 51 suspects, were accosted at the 8 Miles area of Calabar on their way to Akwa Ibom State and were paraded yesterday, Wednesday by Abdulkadir Jimoh, the Cross River State Commissioner of Police.
According to the Police Commissioner the suspects, comprising of 46 males and five females, were arrested with three human skulls on the 17, August 2020.
In his statement, he said, “On Monday, I received information that a group of suspected cultists was driving dangerously, raising up a black and red flag, disturbing the peace on the Goodluck Jonathan Road, and driving towards 8 Miles.
“ They were seriously pursued and intercepted at 8 Miles finally they were arrested and brought to the headquarters, total in number 51, consisting of Forty-six are males and five are females. The suspects confessed to being cultists from the Akpabuyo Local Government Area and that they were on their way to Akwa Ibom State. And when they were searched, three fresh human skulls were recovered from their masquerade regalia.
He said “Two Hiace buses with number plates KAM 541 XA and XA 668 UGB, two motorcycles, five machetes, and three red flags with human skulls drawn on them were recovered from the suspects. They all confessed to being members of the Nnabor Confraternity and they are the people responsible for the series of kidnapping and other vices in the Akpabuyo Local Government Area, and by extension, some parts of Calabar municipality.
He stated that “The command will undertake a forensic analysis of the skulls to determine whether they belong to some of these people that have been declared missing or some of the victims they killed. The suspects have been profiled and they will face the full wrath of the law.”
Mike Asuquo, One of the suspects described the items recovered from them as part masquerade regalia.
Asuquo, said “I was born to see the regalia from our great-grandparents. I don’t know anything about human skulls. We took this masquerade regalia from our community town hall. We rented it from the owner. The masquerade is a tradition of the Efik. We went for burial at Obot Akara in Akwa Ibom State,”.
The police commissioner said the other four suspected members of the Vikings Confraternity were arrested on Sunday and were identified as Peter Henry, Thomas Etta, Ekpo Felix, and Ndifreke Obot.