Suspects were allegedly mobilising for a reprisal attack after the killing of a 20-year-old Niger Delta University student in Amassoma

The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested two suspected cultists following the killing of a 20-year-old Niger Delta University (NDU) student during a suspected cult clash in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

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The suspects were apprehended while allegedly mobilising to carry out a reprisal attack after the death of a suspected member of their confraternity, police said on Thursday.

According to the command, the deceased, Ebube Jonathan, a 200-level Management Science student at Niger Delta University, was attacked by unidentified assailants along Kabaka Street in Amassoma at about 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Police said Jonathan, who was suspected to be a member of the Black Axe confraternity, was hacked with machetes and shot before he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Mohammed, said officers attached to the Amassoma Division launched a swift follow-up operation that led to the arrest of two suspects within hours of the incident.

The suspects were identified as Godswin Adobu, 24, a 300-level Fine and Applied Arts student in the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at Niger Delta University, and Tarilaefa Fesingha, 21.

Mohammed said both men were arrested at Ending Pele in Amassoma while allegedly preparing to avenge Jonathan’s death.

“The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested two suspected cultists and recovered two locally made pistols with two live 9mm rounds of ammunition following a cult-related incident that claimed the life of a suspected cult member in the Amassoma Community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State,” the police spokesperson said.

He added that officers recovered two locally made pistols, two live rounds of 9mm ammunition and suspected illicit drugs from the suspects during the operation.

“Following a swift follow-up operation at about 1600 hours on the same day, operatives attached to Amassoma Division responded promptly and arrested two suspects…

They were both arrested at Ending Pele, Amassoma, where they had allegedly mobilised in an attempt to avenge the death of their gang member,” Mohammed stated.

The Bayelsa police arrest cultists operation forms part of the command’s ongoing efforts to curb violent crime and dismantle criminal gangs operating in communities across the state.

Commissioner of Police Iyamah Daniel Edebor reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling cult-related violence and other criminal activities.

The police commissioner warned individuals involved in unlawful activities to abandon crime or face the full weight of the law, while urging residents to continue providing timely and credible information to support security operations.

The suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue to identify and apprehend other individuals linked to the killing.

Cult-related violence has remained a persistent security concern in Amassoma, the host community of Niger Delta University.

Rival confraternities have repeatedly been linked to deadly clashes within and around the university, leading to fatalities, injuries and heightened fears among students and residents.

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Security agencies have intensified operations in recent years to dismantle cult networks in tertiary institutions, but incidents of reprisal attacks and gang rivalry continue to pose significant challenges to public safety in parts of Bayelsa State.