3,000 Cult Members in Rivers State Relinquish Violence, Surrender Weapons

3,000 Cult Members in Rivers State Relinquish Violence, Surrender Weapons

At least 3,300 cult members in Bori, Khana Local Government, Rivers State pledged to give peace a chance when they accepted the amnesty programme of the state government and surrendered their weapons, the Punch is reporting.

In the last two years, Rivers State has been caught in the grip of a politically-motivated cult violence which resulted in the killings of several people.

Last year at least 2,000 persons embraced the state government’s amnesty to cultists when they surrendered several weapons to the state government.

The cult members, mostly members of Deebam cult and rival Iceland cult, surrendered different arms and ammunition last Friday.

Speaking after the exercise, Chairman of the Committee on Amnesty, Kenneth Chinda, said the newly surrendered cultists were originally apprehensive of the government’s intention and did not approach the state amnesty programme with sincerity.

Chinda advised the youths not to return to their previous life of crime. He added that investors were interested in a peaceful Ogoniland.

He said the weapons surrendered by the former cult members included five AK-47 rifles, one pump action, 17 Dane guns, 20 locally made pistols, 10 AK-47 magazines, four cutlasses, two knives, three axes and five 7.62mm (NATO), 417 quantity of 7.62mm (special), 5.56mm, and four cartridges.