25 Students of Unijos Arrested for Cultism

STF Media Officer, Captain Ikedichi Iweha

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

No fewer than 25 students of University of Jos and Federal College of Forestry, Jos have been arrested for cult activities and related offences by  combined team of Special Task Force (STF), the Police and Directorate State Service (SSS) on Tuesday.

A security operative disclosed that men of the combined force stormed the campuses of the institutions and the neighbourhood of Bauchi Ring Road in the early hours of yesterday after a tip off by the authorities of the institutions, and successfully arrested and whisked the students away.

The source further disclosed that prior to their arrest there were rampant cases of cult activities in the campuses and vicinities which recently led to the death of three students along Bauchi road where the two institutions are situated.
The students according to the source have been taken to Sector 2 Command of the STF at Dogon Dutse area of Jos.

STF Media Officer, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, who confirmed the arrest of the students, added that they were picked up based on information on their cult activities by the management of the institutions, especially in the neighbouring community of Bauchi Ring Road.

He said the students are being interrogated to ascertain their level of  involvement, noting that those who have no case to answer would be released and those found culpable will be handed over to the police for prosecution.
Meanwhile, unknown gunmen yesterday attacked a mosque in Anguwan Katako, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state during the early morning prayers. The gunmen suspected to be from a neighbouring community arrived the area on foot and shot sporadically at worshippers but no one was killed.

An eyewitness, Alhassan Suleiman, who spoke to our correspondent on the issue accused Berom youths of launching the attack, saying though some soldiers attached to the STF had visited and assessed the level of damage to the mosque, the sector commander should have visited in to douse tension.

Iweha also confirmed the incident, but said the response of personnel in the area had doused tension.

He said: “The response of personnel was what made the gunmen to flee the area, but we are dominating that general area to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order.”