The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of seven suspected members of a notorious cult group following a violent attack on a student in Ikot Osura, Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area. The suspects, believed to belong to the outlawed Ku Klux Klan confraternity, were taken into custody after police acted on intelligence reports linking them to the assault.
The police spokesperson, DSP Timfon John, explained in a statement that the incident occurred on August 25, 2025, when a student of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic was ambushed and attacked with dangerous weapons. The victim, who had renounced his membership of the cult, was left unconscious with severe injuries. His attackers allegedly carted away a Redmi 13C Android phone and N41,000 in cash before fleeing.
Acting on the complaint, operatives of the command launched an operation that led to the arrest of seven suspects three days later. A search of their hideout uncovered a freshly severed human skull, a locally made short gun, seven live cartridges, and bottles containing substances suspected to be black oil and Guyanese oil, believed to be intended for ritual purposes.
Those arrested were identified as Douglas Ambe Esikhene, Stephen Asukwo Effiong, Saviour Dany Akpan, Emmanuel Friday Umoh, Augustine Uduak Okon, Mary Ating Asukwo, and Itohowo Christopher Uko. DSP John noted that investigations have already begun to unravel the full extent of the group’s activities while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang who are still at large.
Cult-related violence has remained a source of concern in Akwa Ibom and other parts of southern Nigeria, where security agencies are intensifying operations to dismantle criminal networks involved in killings, robberies, and ritual practices.