Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Bayelsa State Police Command has warned cult groups and their sponsors against attacks and reprisal killings, vowing to intensify operations to forestall cult-related violence across the state in a firm statement that followed the killing of a young man in Yenagoa and came as the command confronts a persistent pattern of cult clashes that has claimed multiple lives in recent months.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Saka Adewale, gave the warning on Monday while directing Divisional Police Officers and tactical commanders to step up patrols in vulnerable areas and act swiftly on credible intelligence about planned cult clashes, initiation ceremonies and recruitment. A statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Mohammed, said the command was also strengthening engagement with community leaders to enable the police to detect emerging tensions and prevent violence before it occurs. The directive was unambiguous: cult groups contemplating attacks or reprisals would be pursued alongside their sponsors, and there would be no sacred cows in the command’s efforts to tackle cultism. Anyone suspected of organising, financing, facilitating or participating in cult-related crimes would be investigated regardless of status or influence, the statement said.
The warning came hours after suspected cultists shot a young man dead and injured a woman at Transformer Road, Agudama-Epie axis of Yenagoa, on Sunday evening. Residents told Daily Trust that the perpetrators were either members of the Bobos cult or the Greenlanders, two rival groups whose clashes have intermittently unsettled the state capital. The killers were reportedly looking for rival members said to be hiding in the area. A resident who witnessed the clash said the rival groups engaged each other with dangerous weapons, leading to the death of one man as residents scampered for safety. The police confirmed the killing and said the Commissioner of Police had already deployed more operatives to the area to clamp down on all criminal activities. Law and order had been fully restored, the police said, and investigation was ongoing to arrest the perpetrators.
The incident underscored the challenge confronting the new Commissioner of Police, who assumed duty in August 2026 with a pledge to prioritise the fight against cultism, armed robbery, maritime crimes, illegal firearms, drug offences, oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism. In his maiden address, Adewale said the command would strengthen intelligence gathering, crime mapping and targeted operations against cultists, kidnappers, armed robbers, pirates and drug traffickers, and that it would dismantle their leadership, funding and logistics networks. He emphasised that the strategy would be intelligence-driven, proactive and rooted in robust community engagement, with zero tolerance for crime and misconduct. The statement issued on Monday reflected that approach, combining enforcement directives with a call for community cooperation.
The legal framework for the crackdown is the Bayelsa State Secret Cults/Societies and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, 2012, as amended in 2018, which prohibits membership and sponsorship of secret cults and prescribes criminal penalties upon conviction. The law, signed by former Governor Seriake Dickson, proscribed all cult groups in the state and initially prescribed a ten-year jail term without an option of fine, though subsequent amendments adjusted the penalties. Despite the law’s existence, enforcement has faced persistent challenges, and a 2026 investigation by The Sun described the anti-cultism law as a “paper tiger” that had floundered in the face of the state’s entrenched cult networks. The command has nevertheless recorded arrests, including 32 suspected cultists in April 2026, 10 suspects after a deadly clash in July that left a scrap scavenger dead, and eight suspects over the assault of a Niger Delta University student. The pattern suggests that arrests are being made but that the underlying networks remain resilient.
The Bayelsa police have consistently linked cultism to other forms of criminality. In a recent intelligence briefing, the command said it had uncovered plots by cult groups to attack and kill targeted individuals as well as rival gang members, and that some of the planned attacks had been averted through intelligence-led operations. CP Adewale has stressed that the command will not only respond to crime but prevent and disrupt it before it occurs, and that marine and waterways security will be prioritised given the state’s riverine terrain. He has also emphasised the importance of inter-agency and inter-state coordination to block criminal movement, and the protection of oil and gas infrastructure through partnerships with relevant agencies, operators and host communities.
For residents of Yenagoa and other communities affected by cult violence, the police statement offers a measure of reassurance that the command is taking the threat seriously and is prepared to act on credible intelligence. The police urged parents and guardians to caution their children and wards against involvement in cult activities, and advised residents to report planned attacks, recruitment and other suspicious activities to the nearest police station. They also warned against reprisal attacks, harbouring suspects and spreading rumours capable of escalating violence. The command published emergency lines, 07034578208 and 09167322691, urging members of the public to use them to report suspicious activities.
The political context of the crackdown is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16 and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. Security has emerged as a central issue in the campaign, and the conduct of the police in states across the country will be closely scrutinised. For Bayelsa, a state that has long grappled with cultism, militancy and maritime crime, the effectiveness of the new Commissioner of Police will be measured by whether the violence subsides and whether the communities that have borne the brunt of cult clashes can begin to live without fear. As the police statement put it, where an attack occurs, officers will move swiftly to secure the area, investigate those responsible and prevent retaliatory violence. The coming weeks will determine whether those words translate into action.
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