Cult initiation ends in fiasco as Akwa Ibom police arrest suspected Black Axe members

Cult initiation ends in fiasco as Akwa Ibom police arrest suspected Black Axe members

Police in Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State say they have arrested two suspected members of the Black Axe confraternity during an operation in the state capital, Uyo.

From information signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, the Akwa Ibom State Police Command said the arrests followed intelligence reports that a group of suspected cultists were carrying out initiation activities at a secondary school along Oron Road. The operation took place at about 4:30pm on Saturday, 1 February 2026.

According to the police, officers moved to the location after receiving the tip-off, but the suspects fled on sighting the patrol team, abandoning a red mini-bus. A chase followed, leading to the arrest of two male suspects identified as Anitie Isaac and Unyime Effiong.

Items recovered at the scene included an axe, a brown calabash, a bottle of alcoholic drink, various incense materials, coloured handkerchiefs and a sticker linked to the Neo Black Axe movement.

The suspects and the recovered items are currently in police custody, where investigations are ongoing.

The Commissioner of Police reiterated the command’s zero tolerance for cultism and related crimes, assuring residents that security agencies would continue efforts to rid the state of criminal groups.

Members of the public were urged to support the police by providing timely and credible information.