In a recent operation, the police engaged in a gun battle with suspected members of the Dey Gbam cult group, resulting in the death of a notorious cultist, Azunda Elechi, aged 28. The encounter took place in Ndele community, Emohua local government area of Rivers State. Grace Iringe-Koko, the police spokesperson in the state, confirmed the incident through a statement released in Port Harcourt.
The police had received information in the early hours of the day that Elechi, hailing from Omofo village in Ndele community, was involved in an attack on Mgbola village just days prior. The attack, carried out by the same cult group, claimed the lives of four individuals. The statement revealed that during the shootout between the cultists and the police, Azunda Elechi sustained fatal injuries and subsequently died. Law enforcement recovered a pump-action shotgun, two live cartridges, and three empty cartridge shells at the scene.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Nwonyi Emeka Polycard, urged parents and guardians to closely monitor the activities of their children and wards to prevent them from succumbing to societal pressures that lead to criminal behavior. Additionally, the public was encouraged to maintain law and order and promptly report any suspicious activities in their neighborhoods to the police using the provided emergency phone numbers: 08032003514 and 08098880134.