By MONDAY AJOGUN

The Edo State Security Squad (ESSS) has arrested four suspected cultists during an early morning raid on a hideout in Egbaen community near Benin, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo.

The ESSS Coordinator, Mr Noah Idemudia, disclosed this to journalists in Benin on Tuesday shortly after the operation.

Idemudia said the squad stormed the hideout at about 6; 00 a.m. on Tuesday following intelligence reports and apprehended the suspects.

He added that dangerous weapons recovered from them linked the suspects to cult-related activities.

He listed the recovered weapons to include four locally made pistols, one cut-to-size gun, one Beretta pistol, and one cutlass.

He commended members of the public for providing useful information that had enabled the security squad to record significant successes in its operations.

He appealed for continued public support, stressing that timely intelligence remained vital to the squad’s efforts to combat crime.

According to him, the squad received intelligence that members of a cult group were planning to carry out an initiation ceremony in Egbaen community, an event that could have triggered other criminal activities and disrupted public peace.

“We responded by moving to the community, and our operation was successful as we apprehended four suspects and recovered dangerous weapons.

“We thank the general public and urge them to keep the information coming, as it has been of great help to the squad in the successes recorded.”(NAN)