They are relatively young and fall within the bracket of ages 12 and 15 but despite their innocent and fragile looks, they belong to a cult group known as the “koboko squad”, notorious for harassing residents of Makurdi town.
Their arrest goes to show the level cultism and occultic practices are rooted in parts of Benue state.
The
eight leaders of this group among whom is a teenage girl referred to as
“koboko queen” were within the week nabbed by men of the Benue State
Police Command at Nyongun village in Wadata area of the Benue State
capital at the peak of the initiation ceremony of new members into the
gang.
According
to the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Assistant
Superintendent of Police Ejike Alaribe, the group had also planned a
reprisal attack on a rival cult group after the initiation ceremony.
But
the timely intervention of the Police averted what would have amounted
to another bloody clash few days after a similar attack led to the death
of some persons at Aliade in Gwer local government area of the state.
The
arrest of these youngsters some of whom are primary school pupils with a
few others in Junior Secondary classes is a pointer to the level evil
and anti social practices have virtually taken root in Benue society
thereby threatening the peace and safety of inhabitants of a state that
prides itself as the most peaceful in northern Nigeria.
There
is no gainsaying that the arrest of these gangsters has opened a new
vista in the fight against violent crime and all forms of criminality in
Benue state.
The
Police and security agencies in the state must now come to terms with
the fact that it’s searchlight must be beamed even to those innocent
looking kids who outwardly can hardly hurt a fly but become deadly after
congregating under oath and ingestion of concoctions that catapults
them beyond the ordinary.
The
story of these youngsters as narrated by them is indeed soul touching
and heart rendering considering their ages and their obvious drift.
Narrating
the history and modus operandi to journalists at the Benue State Police
Command Headquaters, leader of the group and 14 year old Itsa Emmanuel,
disclosed that they were motivated to form the gang in Wadata, known as
haven for cultists, by a yet to be identified young man who he said
also drew up a guideline and modus operandi for members of the gang.
According to him, membership of the cult group is drawn from youngsters who must be of primary and junior secondary school ages.
He
said the initiation of new members into the “koboko cult” entails the
consumption of a concoction prepared from hard spirit and alcohol and
some other materials and the pouring of libation.
Itsa
said members also consume the stuff at their gathering to enable them
feel high and become bold enough to undertake any assignment.
He
disclosed that they gather each day at their meeting points to gyrate
after which they move into the streets ready for any action and
sometimes for a showdown with rival groups or gang that they have scores
to settle with.
He
disclosed that they’ve over the time initiated new members into the
cult but lamented that it was their quest to gain relevance in their
neighborhood and the society that forced them into establishing the cult
group to counter various others that exist in the Wadata area of the
town.
When
asked if their parents were aware of their membership of the group and
their nefarious activities in the town, he said their parents were
unaware stressing that the rules of the group stipulates punishment for
anyone caught divulging the activities of the group.
He pleaded for leniency on the premise that they would quit the cult group and also ensure its disbandment.
It
is pertinent to state here that the arrest of these young teenagers has
prompted the outgoing Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Mr. Haruna
John to solicite the cooperation of royal fathers and opinion leaders
in parts of the state to ensure that the menace of cultism and dangers
posed to innocent lives by the swelling number of gangs operating in
parts of the state are effectively checked.
Speaking
at the Palace of the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, the Tor Tiv,
Ochivere Akawe Torkula, the Commissioner of Police acknowledged that in
the last few weeks, the Command recorded several clashes between rival
cult groups in parts of the state resulting in four deaths and arrest of
many by the police.
The
Police Commissioner said, “cultism is taking a very dangerous dimension
across Benue state because it has spread so fast across the state and
one begins to wonder how and why it has gotten to the level that it is
today”
He
sued for the cooperation of traditional rulers across the state to
effectively check the activities of cultists and the eventual arrest of
their sponsors, adding, “cultism is a satanic alliance that must be
stopped, because anything short of that, the peace of Benue will
definitely be disturbed and it will not be in anyone’s interest”.
Haruna
implored the traditional institution to sensitize their subjects on the
dangers of the reverberating dangerous phenomenon if the renewed
onslaught against the sponsors and members of these nefarious groups is
to record desired results.
He
vowed to sustain the onslaught against all forms of criminality and
violent crimes in the state, in fulfillment of the promises he made to
the people of the state upon assumption of office as Commissioner of
Police.
In
his remarks, the Tor Tiv, Ochivere Dr. Alfred Torkula lament the
killings and devastations various communities in the state had to
contend with as a result of the activities of cult groups in parts of
the state.
The
royal father said, “when this thing started way back, we thought that
it was something that was confined to the universities. Nobody thought
that it would spread to secondary schools and even primary schools, and
today their activity is threatening the peace of the society and
destroying the future of the young ones”.
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Koboko,,, very soon they will upgrade to Boko.
ReplyDeleteKill them b4 they grow.
product of a failed state.
what kinda person are u? Kill them b4 they become Boko aram? If that is the way they kill right in history, wld u av being born at all...aint bible teaches u something about forgiveness and rehabilitation?
ReplyDeletePlease don't look at their faces as little kids,they are all mature criminals.Also arrest thier parents and take them to court.
ReplyDeleteUseless beings.
Many say kill them ....kill them! Does that check the very question to be asked? What is the government doing to keep the youths busy? and what are their parents so busy doing to even know the affairs or where about of there kids? these questions and many more have to be answered. The kids need rehabilitation and re-orientation.
ReplyDeleteyou can imagin the level at which evil has panatrated not just benue but the larger society. pupils in primary schools? what will they be should they find their way into the higher institution? the police should try and fish out more of them for rehablitation.
ReplyDelete