“We Mistook Them for Musicians”: Abia Police Nab 17 Young Cultists After Deadly Shooting Spree.

In a major crackdown on rising cult violence, the Abia State Police Command has arrested 17 young men, aged 18 to 28, all suspected members of various secret cult groups operating in Aba.

According to a press release issued late Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, the suspects were rounded up at different hideouts and meeting points. Some were caught while reportedly heading out to commit fresh crimes.

The police say the arrests follow a troubling surge in cult related killings in the state, including two recent murders. On May 13, 2026, a young man was shot and macheted to death at No. 29 Brass Road, Aba. Eleven days later, on May 24, another young man was shot dead by suspected cultists near Opobo Junction in Ehere, Aba.

Acting on intelligence, the police deployed operatives from the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), leading to the arrest of the 17 suspects. Items recovered from them include five short guns, three live rounds of ammunition, thirteen mobile phones, two cutlasses, one axe, and one black beret.

The Command stated that investigations have been concluded and the suspects are already being charged to court.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Danlandi Isa, assured residents that the police will continue to hunt down cultists and criminals across the state, insisting that "there will be no hiding place for them in Abia."