Police: Cultists Behind IBB University Lapai Unrest

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The police have finally revealed that last June disturbance at the IBB university Lapai in Niger state was orchestrated by members of some cult groups.

The police also named the cult groups which the suspects belonged to as: Neo Black Movement of Africa NBM, Vikings, which operated at tertiary institutions across the state.

Initially it was said the crisis which started from the off-campus hostel of the students before spreading to the main campus and later the town was caused by an attack by armed robbers on the students.

A police statement released on Tuesday morning said 19 suspects were first arrested in connection with the crisis which claimed the life of a 200 level Education/Chemistry student Abdulwahab Jafar but after screening the suspects were reduced to 7.

According to the statement “in a follow up investigative effort of the Command, jointly carried out by TST and FID STS, a total of 19 persons were arrested in Lapai and other locations in the State based on intelligence and other information at the disposal of the Police Command.

“However, the investigation activities were narrowed down to seven suspects for criminal conspiracy, robbery, unlawful society, internet fraud, having in possession of dangerous weapons and suspected culpable homicide” the statement revealed.

The police gave the names of the 7 suspects as Idris Hamza and Suleiman Damilare both 27 years old and Yakubu Musa 24 years old, all with Maikunkele as their place of abode, Abdulsemiu Bashir 23yrs of Lapai, 27-year old Bawa Aliyu of Suleja town and Solomon Musa alias Cabella 28 years of age of Maitumbi near Minna as well as Samson Abba alias Small 28-year resident of Maitumbi near Minna.

The police also recovered some cannabis sativa, charms, and local black soaps and a Toyota Corolla vehicle from some of the suspects.

The statement concluded that, “investigation is still ongoing and efforts to identify either VIKINGS or NBM members responsible for the attack of the deceased is intensified, as it was established that the attack was cultists related”

It was initially thought the attack was by suspected armed robbers.