The Anambra State Police Command has arrested seven suspected cult members believed to be preparing for political thuggery ahead of the November 8, 2025 governorship election.

The suspects were reportedly apprehended during an initiation ritual inside a bush at Obinagu, Abagana, in Njikoka Local Government Area.

Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday. He said officers of the Special Anti-Cult Squad in Enugu-Ukwu, working with the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, raided the initiation ground in the early hours of the day.

Items recovered at the scene included a 25-litre keg filled with a red liquid suspected to be ritual substance, red ceremonial cloth, two wooden drums, and footwear belonging to the suspects and other fleeing accomplices.

Ikenga disclosed that preliminary investigations identified the group as members of the Black Axe Confraternity and suggested the cult activity was geared towards election-related violence in Njikoka and Anaocha areas.

The seven arrested suspects are all male: Ugorji Emmanuel (29), Ogamba Chinuike Anthony (22), Chibuzor Agudiegu (25), Destiny Okasi (22), Udewulu Nzube (19), Ifeanyi Anikpe (21) and Sunday Akuma (20)

He added that some suspects tried to escape the scene but were chased down and captured. Ikenga said an investigation is underway to track down fleeing members of the syndicate and dismantle other connected cult cells within the axis.

He quoted the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, who warned that the Command would not tolerate criminal acts capable of heightening tension ahead of the election. The CP also urged parents, community leaders, and youth groups to discourage cultism and political violence, while encouraging citizens to share useful intelligence with the security authorities.