Police in Kogi State said they arrested eight suspected cult members in Itobe over alleged plans for violent clashes, and three men accused of running an ATM card-swapping fraud ring in Idah.
The state police commissioner announced both operations at a press briefing on Wednesday.
Officers from the Itobe Division, working with local auxiliary forces and community leaders, raided a location behind Government Secondary School, Itobe, in Ofu Local Government Area at about 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 17, police said.
Eight males were arrested, including a 14-year-old boy. Police named the others as Mutari Ahmed, 26; Mohammed Tairu, 21; Audu Moses Yahaya, 27; Peter Vincent, 28; Progress Aminu, 21; Wisdom Friday, 21; and Gabriel Enema, 22. Officers recovered two TVS motorcycles, an axe and a cutlass.
Police said preliminary investigations indicated the suspects had gathered to appoint a leader for a local cult group. Some admitted belonging to the Aro-Baga Vikings and Aiye confraternities and gave information on other people linked to their activities, police said.
The commissioner said the arrests were significant because police had intelligence of planned violent clashes between rival cult groups in the Itobe and Ejule communities. He cited longstanding rivalries, territorial disputes and retaliatory attacks as factors driving the threat. Police are also dealing with reprisal threats against security personnel and facilities, and have strengthened security measures in the area, he said.
The case has been transferred to the Violent Crime Response Unit, which will try to apprehend suspects who fled, identify accomplices and establish the full extent of the groups’ activities.
“The Nigeria Police Force has no friendly, supportive or compromising relationship with cultists, secret confraternities or any criminal elements,” the commissioner said.
Residents of Itobe, Ejule and neighboring communities, and commuters on the Itobe–Anyigba Road, were urged to stay vigilant, carry on lawful activities without panic and report suspicious movements or threats to the nearest police station.
In a separate operation, police arrested three suspects in Idah at about 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 20 on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, fraudulent banking activities and ATM card swapping. They were identified as Philip Akiola, 50; Ojo Thomas, 56; and Abdulrauf Suleiman, 48.
The arrests followed sustained surveillance that began after a May 19 complaint from a man who said his ATM card had been swapped, costing him 1.5 million naira from his account. Police recovered 59 ATM cards from different banks and a vehicle they said the group used.
Police said the suspects worked as a team. One member watched victims enter their PINs and identified the bank card, while another created a distraction. The victim’s card was then swapped for another, letting the fraudsters use the captured card and PIN to access the account.
Investigators said the group had been active for more than a year, mainly targeting ATM users at First Bank, Union Bank and UBA branches. The suspects told police that a man identified only as “Sunday,” who is currently abroad, introduced them to the scheme.
The case is being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Lokoja.
Police advised the public to shield their PINs, decline unsolicited help at ATMs and confirm they have retrieved their own cards before leaving. Anyone who suspects a card swap should contact their bank immediately to block the card and report the incident to police, they said.
Police said investigations into both cases are continuing and all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
