13-year-old ‘cultist’ paraded by police in Delta state

A boy was yesterday paraded alongside suspected secret cult members by the Delta State Police Command in Asaba.

Police commissioner in Delta, Muhammed Mustafa, said the boy and 30 other suspects, including a young lady, were allegedly involved in various criminal activities in different parts of the state.

Precious Agofure, a Junior Secondary School Three (JS3) student of Uriapele Mixed Secondary School in Sapele, was arrested at his Sapele residence two weeks ago.

Soldiers from the military base in Koko in Warri North Local Government Area had stormed the house where the boy lived with his elder half brother, in search of suspected secret cult members, using the area as hideout.

The boy told newsmen that he spent 10 days in custody of the army in Koko together with two other young men, before they were handed over to the police.

He denied being a cultist but admitted that four boys in his school had actually attempted to introduce him to a certain cult group called, “Cage Bird” in December.

He disclosed that they stopped disturbing him after his mother, who lives in another town but pays his school fees, threatened to expose the boys by reporting to the police.

The police boss expressed his determination to work with all stakeholders to effectively tackle all forms of criminality in the state, including armed robbery, kidnapping, oil facility vandalism and herdsmen attacks.