The Enugu State Police Command has arrested seven suspects linked to cultism and illegal firearms, as seven guns, ammunition, and weapon repair tools were recovered in a recent crackdown across the state.

The suspects were arrested between June 15 and 21, during separate operations carried out in Enugu North, Nkanu West, and 9th Mile areas by tactical units of the Command.

The state Police Command spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement released on Sunday, said the operations followed credible intelligence and were guided by the crime-fighting strategies of the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa.

“Operatives of the Command’s Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad and other tactical teams, acting on credible information, arrested seven male suspects and recovered seven firearms, one expended and two live cartridges, and tools used for firearm repairs,” Ndukwe said.

According to him, one of the suspects, Yusuf John, a 25-year-old, was arrested on Saturday at 9th Mile with a cut-to-size double-barrelled gun and one expended cartridge.

His arrest was based on credible intelligence from his syndicate, which claimed they were all members of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity.

“His arrest followed the confessional statements of three earlier-arrested suspects, namely: Ebube Victor, aged 22; Kenechukwu Chiegwu, aged 23; and Tochukwu Kingsley Nwodo, aged 26.

“They all confessed to being members of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity and admitted to using the firearm in the commission of various crimes,” Ndukwe said.

In a separate operation on Tuesday, the operatives arrested a 22-year-old suspect identified as Ugwualor Obumneke, after a confession from Onah Uchenna, who had been arrested for alleged armed robbery and cultism.

Uchenna, whose firearm repair tools were recovered from her, said she uses them to maintain her weapons.

Ndukwe said,” Further investigation led to the recovery of a locally made Beretta-like pistol, two double-barrel and one single-barrel pistols, the chamber of an English-made double-barrel gun, and a set of tools used for firearm repairs.

“The suspects confessed to being members of the Black Axe Confraternity and admitted to using the firearms for criminal activities.

“Onah Uchenna further confessed to owning the repair tools and to specialising in the maintenance of firearms.”

The spokesperson said between June 15 and 20, a joint team from the SWAT and Octopus Tactical Squads raided black spots in Nkanu West and Enugu North LGAs, and arrested Iloh Chukwunonso, who firearms were recovered from.

“A locally fabricated Beretta-like pistol was recovered from him.

“ A cut-to-size gun and two live cartridges abandoned by fleeing suspects were also recovered during the operation,” Ndukwe said.

He confirmed that all suspects would be arraigned upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.

Commending the operatives,  the Police Commissioner Giwa said, “The Command remains committed to ridding Enugu State of criminal elements.

“I urge our personnel to remain resolute until the state becomes increasingly uninhabitable for criminals.”

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a consignment of cocaine concealed in clothes hangers and sewn into dresses packed in a travellers’ luggage.

This was made known in a statement released by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.

The illicit substance was discovered during a routine search by NDLEA officers at an undisclosed airport, as traffickers continue to devise new methods to beat security checks.

He wrote, “How could anyone have imagined that cocaine is buried inside the hangers holding the clothes they’re travelling with or sewn into the dress in their luggage? But that’s the reality of the desperation by the cartels as discovered by #ndlea_nigeria officers in their latest seizure.”

The windstorms that swept through Gwadabawa and Kware Local Government Areas of Sokoto State on Tuesday have claimed the lives of five residents, injured dozens, and left a trail of widespread destruction across both communities.

Officials from the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency, who conducted a joint on-the-spot assessment, disclosed the grim aftermath during a visit to the affected areas on Saturday.

According to the assessment report, the storm affected over 1,400 homes and vital public infrastructure, including schools and other government buildings.

It was said that in Gwadabawa LGA alone, the disaster led to the destruction of 878 houses, affecting 1,306 households and displacing an estimated 7,836 individuals.

“Eleven people sustained varying degrees of injuries. Officials confirmed five fatalities in the Marabawa community, including two children aged 18 months and 3 years, who were identified as the children of one Mansur Salihu Talhi”

The assessment team in Gwadabawa, according to SEMA, included DPM Shehu Muhammad, Councillor for Gidan-Kaya Ward Hon. Siba Sodangi, community elder Adamu Abdullahi Talhi, and SEMA Desk Officer Nafi’u Bello.

“Several public structures, including parts of Government Secondary School Kware, suffered significant damage to fences and classrooms.

“A particularly hard-hit area was Kofar-Barga in Kware, where the home of a resident, Ahmad Abbas, was flattened.

“Similarly, approximately 100 houses were damaged in the 30-Quarters area of the town.”

SEMA also confirmed that documentation of all affected individuals and properties is ongoing.

The agency said, “The data will be submitted to the state and federal governments to facilitate swift humanitarian assistance for the victims”

The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has visited the scene of a gunmen attack in Oko Community, near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Recall that some yet-to-identified assailants on Thursday attacked the Oko community, killing no fewer than four persons suspected to be students and injuring about seven others.

The hoodlums also kidnapped two other persons, thereby causing panic in and around the institution.

The hoodlums were said to arrive the area and started shooting unprovoked in an incident that was later attributed to be cult-related by the police authorities.

Heineken has lost operational control and withdrawn its staff from facilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), CNN on Saturday quoted that the Dutch brewer announced on Friday.

In March, the company had suspended operations in three eastern cities, citing safety concerns after breweries were damaged and depots raided during clashes between government forces and rebels.

On Friday, Heineken said the situation had worsened. Armed groups have taken control of its sites in Bukavu and Goma—eastern Congo’s largest cities—as well as surrounding areas.

“The conditions required to operate responsibly and safely are no longer present and as of 12th June 2025, we have lost operational control,” it said in a statement.

PUNCH Online reported on Wednesday, Congo, Rwanda, and the United States said their technical teams had initialed a draft peace agreement, which is expected to be signed next week.

Heineken’s local unit, Bralima, continues to operate in parts of the country not affected by the fighting. The company said it is monitoring developments closely.

Heineken owns four breweries in the DRC, producing its namesake beer along with local brands such as Primus. It previously said its Bukavu facilities employed about 1,000 people directly and indirectly.

“Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our employees,” Friday’s statement read.

Reuters also reported, “We have withdrawn all remaining staff from these sites and we have continued to support them financially.”

Nearly 14 per cent of Heineken’s total revenue comes from its Middle East and Africa operations, with Congo—home to over 100 million people—a significant market.

Before the suspension, operations in Goma, Bukavu, and Uvira represented roughly one-third of Heineken’s business in the country.

Conflict in eastern Congo has intensified in 2025, with the M23 rebel group making major territorial gains, sparking fears of broader regional instability.

Congo accuses Rwanda of backing M23 with troops and weapons—allegations Rwanda has consistently denied.