52-year-old Aye Confraternity Member Among Cultists Arrested in Delta

The Delta State Police Command’s CP-Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT) has arrested 52-year-old Miracle Umukoro, as well as two other suspected cultists, with one pump-action gun, six live cartridges, and a Toyota Sienna car reportedly used for their operations.

The suspects, Miracle Umukoro, 52, Mudiaga Ukavwe, 31, and Solomon Oghoro a.k.a. Spartan, 30, were apprehended by a team led by Commander ASP Julius Robinson in Sapele and Oghara, Ethiope West local government area of the state.

SP Edafe Bright, the State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed this in a statement on Monday, saying that based on credible intelligence about the activities of a violent cult group, the operatives stormed the suspects’ locations around 0530 hrs on November 24th, 2025.

He stated that the suspects, who admitted to being members of the Aye Confraternity, were apprehended with several exhibits:

The recovered items include: “One pump-action gun, six live cartridges, one cutlass, and one Toyota Sienna vehicle, Reg. No. LSR 621 JW, allegedly used by the syndicate for surveillance and operational logistics.” All the suspects are in custody.

“The recovered arms and vehicle have been registered as exhibits, as investigations continue to identify other members of the cult network and dismantle their operational structure.”

In a related development, “on 23rd November, 2025, at about 0630hrs, acting on a distress call regarding a robbery incident along the Asaba-Benin Expressway by Dustbin/Mango Tree area, the Commander, Eagle Net Special Squad, SP Danyaya Inusa, swiftly mobilised surveillance teams of the squad in a coordinated operation with operatives of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service, led by DSP Abu Joshua, to the reported scene.

“Upon arrival, the criminal gang ambushed the operatives with sporadic gunfire. The team, undeterred, responded with controlled precision, overpowering the assailants and forcing them into a disorganised retreat. A fierce chase ensued, which led to the arrest of the following suspects: Oghenemaro Martins, 25 years, Tarebi Miracle Ogbada, 22 years, and Okorie James Kalu, 19 years.

“During the chase, the fleeing suspects abandoned a black bag, which operatives recovered. The contents of the bag directly linked the suspects to the robbery scene and their wider criminal operations. Recovered items include: One (1) English-made Beretta pistol, One (1) locally made pistol, Four (4) live 9mm Beretta ammunition, One (1) HP laptop, One (1) iPhone S, One (1) Tecno phone, One (1) Samsung phone, One (1) PS5 game console, Two (2) necklaces, One (1) laptop charger

The presence of the firearms and ammunition confirms the gang’s readiness for armed confrontation, while the assorted electronics, jewellery, and PS5 console matched descriptions earlier provided by multiple victims robbed at gunpoint around the Okpanam–Asaba axis. Subsequently, the chain of identification has established a direct nexus between the recovered items, the arrested suspects, and the series of armed robberies under investigation. The suspects remain in custody as the investigation continues.

In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, commended the operatives for their resilience, courage, and tactical precision in both operations.

He reiterated the Command’s zero tolerance for armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and any form of violent crime, assuring residents that the police will remain unrelenting in delivering a safe and secure Delta State.

The CP further urged the public to remain security-conscious and report suspicious movements or persons to the nearest police station or through the command’s Control Room Number: 08036684974