Rita Enemuru, Reporting
ASABA — Police in Delta State have arrested a suspected cultist who shot a man for refusing to rejoin his criminal gang, recovering four locally fabricated firearms in the process.
Oghenebuba Mamatime, 28, a known member of the notorious Eiye Confraternity, was apprehended on 21 July following a complaint from the victim, whose identity has been withheld for his safety.
Officers from Jesse Division, working alongside community youth groups, tracked down the suspect who had been on the police wanted list since he allegedly opened fire on the victim on 2 July along Ujomi Road in Jesse Town.
According to police statements, the suspect had been unhappy with the victim’s decision to leave the cult and attempted to force him back into the fold. When an argument broke out, Mamatime allegedly shot the victim.
Three locally made pistols and one single-barrelled gun were recovered from the suspect during his arrest.
In a press release issued today, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer SP Bright Edafe confirmed that preliminary investigations have established the suspect’s affiliation with the Eiye Confraternity and his motive for the attack.
“The suspect is in custody, and investigation is ongoing,” the statement read.
Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, praised the collaborative efforts between officers of Jesse Division and community youths in combating cultism.
He urged them to extend their partnership to tackling drug abuse, kidnapping, and other serious crimes plaguing the locality.
The CP also issued a stern warning to young people, advising them to steer clear of all cult-related activities.
The arrest marks another significant breakthrough in the Command’s ongoing crackdown on unlawful possession of firearms and cult-related violence in the State.
