40 cultists renounce membership, embrace peace in C’River
By Ike Uchechukwu, CALABAR
No fewer than 40 youths in Abini Community, Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, have renounced their membership of the Vikings, Klans and Axemen cult groups and pledged to embrace peaceful and law-abiding lives.
The youths made the commitment on August 26, 2026, during a sensitisation and engagement programme organised by the Cross River State Police Command in collaboration with the Abini Elites Association, AEA, and LauraHope Foundation.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, confirmed the development in a statement yesterday, describing it as a significant breakthrough in the command’s proactive, community-based crime prevention strategy.
He said the initiative was being implemented under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo-Geoffrey Ordue.
“The Cross River State Police Command has recorded a significant breakthrough in its proactive, community-based crime prevention strategy.
“About 40 youths associated with the Vikings, Klans and Axemen cult groups in Abini Community, Biase LGA, renounced their membership and pledged to embrace a peaceful and law-abiding lifestyle,” Eitokpah said.
According to the command, the engagement focused on the dangers of cultism, drug abuse, unlawful possession of firearms and other social vices.
Ordue, represented by the Divisional Police Officer of Yakurr Division, CSP Innocent Ayabotu, urged the youths to shun criminal activities and become agents of peace and development in their community.
“Our engagement is focused on the dangers of cultism, drug abuse, unlawful possession of firearms and other social vices.
“I want to urge youths to reject criminality and become agents of peace and development in their community,” he said.
The commissioner said the development reflected the command’s crime prevention and intelligence-gathering strategies aimed at addressing factors responsible for youth recruitment into criminal networks.
He said the initiative was also in line with the command’s intelligence-led and community-oriented policing approach.
Ordue commended traditional rulers, the LauraHope Foundation, the Abini Elites Association and the youths for their cooperation, stressing that sustainable security required collective responsibility.
“We will continue to combine intelligence-led enforcement with preventive interventions, strategic community engagement and partnership-driven policies to sensitise our youths to reject cultism,” he said.
He urged the youths to sustain their commitment and become positive agents of peace and development in the community.
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