Rivers State police suspend officers afta alleged cultists renovate station

Di Nigeria Police, Rivers State Command, don remove two senior police officers for di Abuloma area of di state afta dem allow suspected cult members to renovate one police outpost for di area.

Dis dey come afta one video bin go viral for social media wey show some young men wey according to di video na members of one secret cult for di front of di police station wey dem allegedly renovate.

Di men for di video bin wear red shirts and red beret, while some of dem wey wear white shirts and black trousers either tie red scarf for head, or wear red beret, and dem dey shout slangs and slogans wey pipo believe and tok say na cult language.

Di video later show as di men and some police officers in uniform bin pose for foto, bifor dem come enta di renovated police station to do tour of di work wey dem do.

BBC News Pidgin neva fit independently verify if di young men belong to any cult group.

Rivers CP suspend officers, order investigation

For one statement by di Rivers State Police tok-tok pesin, Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, di police hierarchy describe di video as disturbing bicos e fit "compromise di integrity, discipline and professional standards of the Nigeria Police Force or confer legitimacy, recognition or acceptance on suspected cult groups or oda unlawful organisations".

Di statement tok say: "Police facilities na public institutions for di protection of citizens and di enforcement of law, and e no suppose bicom platforms wey criminal groups dey use to seek public validation or influence.

"Sake of dis, di Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Abuloma Division and di Divisional Officer overseeing di affected Police Outpost don dey queried and relieved of dia duties pending investigation."

Di police tok-tok pesin also add say di Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, don order ogbonge investigation, to find out di identity of di group wey renovate di police station, di officers wey give dem approval to do di renovation, and weda dem follow due process bifor dem give di approval.

According to di statement, di law allow di police to receive gifts, donations and support from members of di community wia dem dey serve, "however, such support no suppose compromise police independence".

"Di Command welcome legitimate community support for improving police facilities, wey dey consistent wit Section 26(1)(d) of di Nigeria Police Act 2020, wey provide for gifts and contributions to di Police General Fund. Howeva, make dat kain support no compromise police independence, professional standards or security," di police boss tok.

Rivers State dey very popular for cultist activities and ova di years, di police don get plenty confrontations wit suspected cult members for di state, wey result in casualties on both side.

In June 2025, suspected cultists bin attack di headquarters of Ahoada East local govment area for Rivers State and kpai one police corporal, Francis Friday among odas.

Also for February 2024, di Rivers State Police Command announce say dem don finally kpai one ogbonge cultist leader, Gift Okpara alias 2Baba, who dem tok say dey behind di killing of many policmen and security officers for di Ahoada area, including di beheading of di DPO of di area, Bako Angbashim, two years earlier.