A major police operation along the Tombia-Amasoma Road in Bayelsa State has led to the arrest of 17 suspected cultists in connection with the gruesome killing of two recent graduates of Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma. The tragic incident, believed to be the result of a renewed cult clash, has thrown the university community and the entire Bayelsa public into mourning.
Among those apprehended by the police were four individuals identified as suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo-boys. They are alleged to have sponsored the deadly attack that claimed the lives of the two students. A senior police source told The Nigeria Education News that the suspects were nabbed during a stop-and-search operation mounted by the Bayelsa Rapid Response Squad (RRS) led by CSP Bishop Elemide.
According to the source, the suspects were intercepted after the police received a radio alert about the killings, which occurred around the Gbarantoru axis off Amassoma Road. “We acted swiftly after the alert. We had already mounted a checkpoint, and when a Suzuki mini bus approached, we noticed it was carrying about 13 young men cramped inside,” the officer said. “There were blood stains on some of them and machetes smeared with fresh blood.”
Preliminary investigations revealed that the group had initially mobilized to the crime scene in two mini buses. However, one of the vehicles reportedly developed a mechanical fault during their escape. “They abandoned one of the buses and continued their getaway in the second mini bus, which was the one intercepted by the RRS officers,” the police source added.
Further details emerging from the investigation suggest that the arrested individuals are suspected members of the Vikings Confraternity, a notorious cult group believed to be behind several violent clashes in the state. Another officer who spoke anonymously disclosed, “These killings were not random. Intelligence suggests that some Yahoo-boys sponsored the attack, possibly as revenge or part of a power struggle within the cult network.”
The identities of the two slain NDU graduates have not been made public, but university sources confirmed they had only recently completed their final clearance before the attack. The university community has expressed shock and sadness over the tragedy, calling on authorities to intensify efforts to curb cultism and related violence in the area.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Musa Mohammed, confirmed the arrests and ongoing investigations. “Yes, some major arrests have been made by men of the RRS. The command is diligently investigating the level of involvement of each of the suspects in the killings,” he said. “We urge the public to remain calm while we get to the bottom of this matter.”
The police have assured that those found culpable will be prosecuted and that the crackdown on cult-related violence in Bayelsa will continue unabated. The state government is also expected to make a formal statement in the coming days as the case continues to draw widespread attention and public outrage.
