The Delta State Police Command has arrested five suspected cultists, including a suspect who allegedly participated in the gruesome murder of a young man in Issele-Asagba, Aniocha North Local Government Area.
The arrests followed the circulation of a viral video showing the victim being attacked and butchered with a machete on October 27, 2026.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, who disclosed the development in a statement on Tuesday, November 10, said that following the circulation of the video, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Samuel E. Erale, directed operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Unit (SAKU), Asaba, to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killing.
Acting on the directive, the operatives intensified intelligence-led operations, leading to the arrest of four suspected members of the Black Axe confraternity on November 3, 2026, during a raid on a suspected hideout along Ugbolu–Amachai Road, the PPRO stated.
The suspects were identified as Ifechukwudi Okafor, 26; Michael Okoro, 26; Freedom Iloh, 28; and Chinasa Akwuo, 29.
Items recovered during the operation included a pump-action gun, a dagger and substances suspected to be illicit drugs.
Further investigations led to the arrest of another suspect, 27-year-old Infione Solomon Omefe, on November 4, and he allegedly confessed to participating in the murder captured in the viral video.
The police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other persons implicated in the killing.
The Commissioner of Police condemned the murder and assured residents that everyone involved would be brought to justice.
He also warned against cultism and violent crimes, reaffirming the command’s commitment to sustained operations against criminal groups.
He urged members of the public to provide credible information to assist the police in tackling criminal activities, assuring them that the identities of informants would be treated confidentially.
