The Cross River State Police Command has arrested 11 male suspects during a joint operation targeting alleged cult initiation activities near the Engineering Department of the University of Calabar.
The Command said the operation was carried out on October 22, 2026, at about 10:30 a.m., by operatives of its Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Satellite Town, Calabar, following a distress call from the university authorities.
In a statement issued on Friday, October 23 by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, the Command said its operatives, in collaboration with UNICAL internal security personnel, cordoned off a nearby bush where the suspected initiation was reportedly taking place.
The suspects arrested are Ogar Favour, 25; David Akpa, 27; Gift Emmanuel, 24; Aaron Favour, 24; David Abubu, 25; Victor Emmanuel Eyibo, 26; Oghenemaro Hendrix, 24; James Ede Joseph, 22; Charles Ekeng, 21; Edu Nkanu, 26; and Ogabor John Odey, 24.
According to the police, the suspects are being investigated to establish their individual roles and the circumstances surrounding the reported activity.
Items recovered during the operation include a Lexus 350 saloon car reportedly abandoned by a fleeing individual and three motorcycles. The police said the items have been secured for investigative purposes, noting that no connection between the recovered vehicles and the suspected cult-related activity has been established at this stage.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, reiterated the Command’s resolve to prevent cultism and other violent crimes through proactive policing, credible intelligence and collaboration with stakeholders.
The Command urged members of the public to provide credible information to assist in crime prevention, while adding that investigation is ongoing and all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
