At least thirty suspects (all men) were arrested following a raid by combined team of Police operatives said to be drawn from operation department, Octopus Strike Force and military personnel and Vigilance group on Monday night in some brothels and ‘cultism lane’ along Azikiwe street Mile 2 Diobu on Monday night following cult clash between suspected alleged Junior Vikings (JVC) and Deygbam cult groups, we have learnt.
The suspected cultists had engaged themselves in battle around Ikoku flyover axis of Ikwerre road over issue on supremacy and territorial control.
The rampaging hoodlums injured many passersby and robbed residents a source disclosed to our reporter.
Our reporter could not independently verify if there were any casualty as at Monday night but saw many persons injured as a result of the clash.
Our source disclosed that security personnel acting on credible and actionable intelligence swooped on the hideouts of the fleeing suspected cultists including brothels and ‘cultism lane’ off Azikiwe street.
Our correspondent who was on ground reports that over twenty patrol vans and three buses used in conveying the arrested suspects was sighted at the scene.
Recall that penultimate Saturday combined team of Navy, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) raided brothels along Azikiwe where fifty underage girls forced into prostitution were rescued.
The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer SP Grace Iringe Koko in response to enquiry by our reporter said “They are raiding black spot and criminal hideout”.