Cult Killings : A Desperate Effort To Blacklist Rivers - Gov Wike

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike , has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to create the impression that the state was unsafe, through the promotion of targeted cult killings. This is as the Federal Government called for partnership between it and the Rivers State Government to tackle security challenges in the state.

Speaking during a visit by the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, to the Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday, Wike said security agencies in the state knew the cult kingpins terrorising flashpoints in the state. He said, "The security agencies have the profiles of all cult kingpins in different parts of the state and they know their locations. There is no wisdom in the politicisation of security. Insecurity can affect anybody. You can never know the next victim of insecurity. ”

He urged the security agencies and the Federal Government to deploy personnel to cult flashpoints in the state to forestall repeated attacks by cults. "In every system, the security agencies know the flashpoints. Here, we requested for the strengthening of security around these flashpoints, especially in areas with high prevalence of cult activities. I expected that security would be beefed up in these places.

"I ask this question. Is there an orchestrated plan to tag Rivers State as unsafe; is the situation above the security agencies despite the information we have made available to them” Wike asked. The governor also blamed oil multinationals for the explosion of cult activities in some communities, pointing out that the multinationals award surveillance contracts to cult groups.

He said when equipped with funds from multinationals, the cult groups procure sophisticated weapons with which they terrorise communities and law abiding persons. Wike said the state government had made several requests to the Inspector General of Police for the deployment of special squads to tackle cult activities and kidnapping, but that despite the requests, the IGP had failed to deploy the special squads in the state.

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