The Command's spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor, a Superintendent of Police, who confirmed the arrest to SaharaReporters on Wednesday morning, said the suspects were arrested on Monday after they allegedly abducted one young man in his house.
The Edo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has arrested five suspected members of Aiye confraternity, a secret cult group and rescued two of their victims.
The Command's spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor, a Superintendent of Police, who confirmed the arrest to SaharaReporters on Wednesday morning, said the suspects were arrested on Monday after they allegedly abducted one young man in his house.
Nwabuzor said a preliminary investigation had revealed that the two rescued victims were also members of the Aiye confraternity.
He said that the dreaded cult group had been locked in a clash over leadership tussle in the past weeks, even as he did not disclose whether anyone had been killed as a result of the ongoing clashes.
The PPRO, who said the suspects would be paraded on Wednesday, at the Police headquarters, however, said that they had been transferred to Anti-Cultism Unit of the State command for further investigations.
He said, "This week Monday precisely on the 5th of December 2022, the divisional police officer in charge of Irrua Divisional Police Headquarters, Edo State received a report that a particular young man who was abducted from his home by unknown men who came with dangerous weapons and threatened them before the abduction of the young man.
"Immediately the DPO mobilised his men, military personnel and Edo State security network personnel to the scene. At the scene they recovered one empty shell of cartridge and they went on the trail of these criminals.
"As God may have it they intercepted a vehicle, a Toyota Camry car. And during the search they recovered one pump action with some cartridges and they arrested the five suspects, taken to the station.
"At the station they were interrogated and they confessed to being members of secret cult confraternity called Aiye and also confessed to have been the ones who abducted the young man and another woman selling pastries.
"Further confession by them stated that these two young men abducted were members of their secret cult confraternity. These people have since been transferred to Anti-Cultism Unit of Edo State Police Command for further investigation.
"They use cutlasses to fight themselves. They are members of one cult called Aiye. They were actually fighting for leadership tussle. Investigation is ongoing and further revelation from the investigation will be revealed to the members of the public."