A 16-year-old boy has been arrested with a double-barrelled gun inside a school in Anambra State. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Haruna Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
He said the boy was among the 80 suspected cultists arrested during a raid on various criminal hideouts and black spots across the state.
Mohammed stated that 40 of the suspects had been charged, 15 screened and released unconditionally, five placed under police supervision for being underage, while 20 were undergoing investigation.
He listed exhibits recovered from the suspects to include two pump action guns, 10 machetes, five axes, two daggers, three barrettes, one double-barrelled gun, two locally-made pistols and three live cartridges.
The PPRO stated, “In order to stem the tide of cultism and other nefarious activities in the state, especially during this period of ‘ember’ months, the command’s Special Anti-Cult Unit raided various hideouts and black spots, where cultists were suspected to be hibernating, at various locations within the state.
“From the raids carried out, a total of 80 suspects were arrested out of which 40 were charged, 15 suspects were screened and released unconditionally, five suspects were placed under police supervision for being underage, while 20 suspects, including a 16-year-old boy and confessed cultist, who was arrested with a double-barrelled gun inside his school compound at Igboukwu, are undergoing investigation.
The command thanked the residents of the state for providing it with intelligence and reassured the public of adequate protection.