Forty eight members of various cult groups from different tertiary institutions in Anambra State have renounced membership of their cult groups and agreed to work with Anambra State Police Command to convince their friends to shun cultism. The ex-cultists, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, NAU, Awka; Chukwemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, COOU, Uli, formerly, Anambra State University; and Federal Polytechnic, Oko, were led to the Anambra State Police Headquarters, Amawbia, Awka by Mr. Samuel Ejembi, National Coordinator, Campus Cults Eradication Foundation, CCEF, that is working with police to eradicate cultism in the country. Addressing the ex-cultists, Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sam Okaula, said that his command had been working round the clock with CCEF. He said that seven of the ex-cultists were from NAU, nine from Federal Polytechnic Oko, seven from COOU, while the other ex-cultists were tricycle (KEKE NAPEP), and commercial motorcycle operators (okadamen), members of Vikings, Aye, Black Axe and Buccaneers. Coordinator of CCEF, Mr. Ejembi, who initiated the talk with them before involving police, said: “As a former cultist, I know their language, and I used it to initiate talk with them, although it would not have been possible without the help of the police that provided security for all of us. “I practiced cultism for 16 years and those years were tough and difficult years of blood thirstiness. That is why people must come out of it. Politicians used us for different purposes, but I decided to renounce my membership and when I had an encounter with the present Inspector General of Police, he took me like a son and changed my life. Today, I am a civil servant working in the health sector.” Two former cultists, who spoke to newsmen, but do not want their names mentioned, vowed never to go back to cultism and promised to help the police and other security agencies to work on their friends, who have not renounced their membership of cult groups.
vanguard
0 comments: