Over 15 youths belonging to different secret cult groups have publicly denounced their membership of cultism in Diogbe community in Igbo Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The cultists, whose age ranges between 18 and 25 years, before now had engaged in various crimes and vices within the community and its neighbourhoods.

Administering an oath of denunciation and undertaking on the cultists on Sunday in the community, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Danmallam, urged the repentant cultists to shun acts that bring them in conflict with the law.

Danmallam, who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, urged the community members to accept their misguided sons wholeheartedly; adding that the police would not accept people stigmatizing them for any reason.

“This is part of the Command’s Police Public Relations Department outreach called Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) programme meant in countering narratives of cultism and social vices amongst youths by turning them to be better citizens.

“Our youths must resist temptation of yielding to negative influences of friends and peer groups if they will become champions tomorrow.

“Also, I will enjoin you to know who your friends are and the kind of life they live to avoid getting involved as well,’’ he advised.

Danmallam described cultism as an envelope containing many crimes such as armed robbery, murder, kidnapping, rape, drug-related crime; while advising youths to always reflect on the positive sides of their future.

Earlier, Traditional Ruler of the community, Igwe Uchenna Anikwe, said that he and his cabinet members had been battling cultism in the last
five years in the community and had spent a lot of resources on security.

•Excerpted from Tribune report