The Delta State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of a cult group in connection with the gruesome killing of a young man at Issele-Asagba, Aniocha North Local Government Area of the state.
The arrests followed the circulation of a viral video showing the victim being brutally attacked and butchered with a machete in what is suspected to be a cult-related murder on October 27, 2026.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a press release issued on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in Asaba.
According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel Erale, immediately directed operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Unit (SAKU), Asaba, to identify, track down and arrest those responsible for the killing following the disturbing footage.
Acting on the directive, operatives embarked on intelligence-led operations which culminated in the arrest of four suspected members of the Black Axe confraternity during a raid on a suspected criminal hideout along Ugbolu–Amachai Road on November 3.
The suspects were identified as Ifechukwudi Okafor, 26; Michael Okoro, 26; Freedom Iloh, 28; and Chinasa Akwuo, 29.
Items recovered during the operation included one pump-action gun, a dagger and substances suspected to be illicit drugs.
The police disclosed that further investigations led to the arrest of another suspect, 27-year-old Infione Solomon Omefe, on November 4.
Omefe reportedly confessed to participating in the murder captured in the viral video, providing investigators with further leads into the circumstances surrounding the killing.
The Command, however, said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other individuals allegedly implicated in the crime, assuring that no one involved would be spared.
Reacting to the development, CP Erale condemned the gruesome killing and assured residents that the police would ensure that all those responsible were brought to justice.
He also warned individuals and groups involved in cultism and other violent criminal activities to desist, stressing that the Command would sustain its intelligence-driven operations to dismantle criminal networks across the state.
The police commissioner further urged members of the public to support security agencies with credible and timely information that could assist in preventing crime and apprehending criminals.
He assured residents that information supplied would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
The Command reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property and maintaining public safety across Delta State.
