Cultism: Bayelsa police to raid hotels

September 2, 2012 by abeke kokobaiye

The police in Bayelsa State have concluded plans to clamp down on hotels harbouring suspected cultists in the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Kingsley Omire, told our correspondent in Yenagoa that cult groups and their members were fond of lodging and holding their meetings in hotels.

He said the police would shut down hotels used by cultists as their hiding places.

He said special operatives had been dispatched to various locations in the state to monitor hotels and the kind of people who patronised them.

According to him, a list of the cult groups and their members had been handed over to the police for arrest and prosecution.

“This action became imperative following the enactment of the anti-cult law by the state government. Some suspected cultists have been arrested and would soon be paraded,” he said.

Omire warned that members of vigilance groups linked to cultism would also be arrested.

He advised cult members to renounce membership of their secret associations to benefit from the rehabilitation programme of the state government.

“Provisions have been made for the rehabilitation of the cultists who renounce their membership. Some arrested cult members would soon appear in court. Members of the public should visit the office of the Police Public Relations Officer in the state to know the names of the cult groups prohibited by the state government,” he explained.

He added that the prohibition of motorcycles in Yenagoa, the state capital territory took effect last Saturday and that riding of motorcycles in Amassoma, host community to the Niger Delta University had been banned.

He said any motorcycle found within the capital territory would be impounded and auctioned.

He said the police had cleared a place where impounded motorcycles would be kept, adding that the defaulters would be arrested and prosecuted.