From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

No fewer than 17 suspected cultists were during the weekend arrested along the Tombia-Amassoma road over their alleged involvement in the killing of two graduates of the Niger Delta University, Amassoma in renewed cult attacks.Among the seventeen persons were; four suspected cyber fraudsters popularly known as the Yahoo-boys for allegedly sponsoring the killings of the two students.

A senior police source informed DAILY ASSET that the arrest of the suspected killers’ cultists was done by the Stop and search mounted on the road by the vigilant men of the Rapid Response Squad headed by one Police officer known as CSP Bishop Elemide. It was gathered that upon receiving the police radio alert of the incident which occurred at Gbarantoru area off Amassoma road, the RRS squad mounted a road block and were rewarded when a Suzuki mini bus was stopped.”We saw over 13 boys cramped inside with blood stains on a few of them. And machetes stained with blood. The Police immediately suspected they were the ones that carried out the killing.””Upon questioning, the police discovered that they went to the scene of the crime in two mini buses. One developed a fault while they were escaping and they decided to abandon it and use one mini bus.”Another police source however said the boys are suspected members of the notorious Vikings cult group. And that the killing of the two University graduates was sponsored by some four yahoo boys.”Contacted on the development, the Spokesman of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Musa Mohammed, confirmed that some arrests were made by the men of the RRS and the level of involvement of each suspect is under investigation,” Yes, some major arrests have been made and the command is investigating.”A report has however claimed that the two murdered graduates were members of the Neo Black Movement known as Black Axe Aye; others claimed they were members of the Bobos cult group.Already, the members of the killings in the Bayelsa Varsity and other secondary and higher Institutions of learning in the state capital are reported to have gone into hiding for fear of reprisal.Some fun seekers in bars and lounges in Yenagoa, the state capital claimed to have noticed strange movements as some fearsome looking boys are searching for rival cult members to slay.In the last one week, some parts of Yenagoa, the state capital, have witnessed strange sounds of gun shots suspected to be exchange of gun fire among rival cult groups.Again, on Sunday morning, two rival cult gangs threw the popular commercial hub, Swali ultra-modern market into confusion with heavy exchange of gun shots which led to the killing of one person.While a police source claimed that some are from police men chasing after cult boys reportedly driving around town in a covered plate numbered car, others claimed the shooting was among rival cult groups.A Senior Police officer assured that the State Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu and his men are vigorously working round the clock to stem the worrisome tide.”We are working seriously to end this nefarious cult clashes and bring those involved to book. We have made many arrests and the State Government has also provided support and warned politicians to steer clear from influencing the police investigation. Those arrested will face the law.”