No fewer than 68 members of two cult groups have renounced their membership and surrendered assorted weapons in Rivers.
The National Coordinator of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), CSP Ebere Amaraizu, made the disclosure in a statement in Enugu on Saturday.
Amaraizu said that some repentant cultists were members of Iceland cult group and Degbam cult group who embraced peace by renouncing their membership and surrendering arms.
He said that they also lay down their arms to become better citizens and contribute to nation building and development.
He noted that the renunciation was done at Ogbakiri, in Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
The POCACOV coordinator said that the event was witnessed by some heads of other security agencies, Divisional Police Officer of Rumuji, community members and stakeholders.
“25 members of Iceland cult group and 43 suspected cult members of dreaded Degbam cult group denounced their membership, surrender their weapons and offered to become better citizens.
“DSP Yusuf Abdullahi, Commander Anti-Cultism Unit, Elele Zone and the POCACOV coordinator of Rivers, representing POCACOV national coordinator, also witnessed the event and thanked the repentant cultists for taking the bold step.
“It is good that youths willingly repent and offer to become better citizens toward contributing to national development and growth.
“POCACOV will further re-orient and continually admonished them not to go back; but to remain steadfast in their new and more beneficial way of life,’’ he said.
The POCACOV is an initiative of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, meant to prevent youths from joining cultism and offering olive branch to repentant ones with a view to making them better citizens.
