The Commissioner of Police, Bello Kankarofi, disclosed the arrests during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Lokoja on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. He said the operations followed intelligence gathering and surveillance aimed at preventing violent crime and tackling financial fraud across the state.

According to the police, eight male suspects were arrested on October 17 at a location behind Government Secondary School in Itobe, Ofu Local Government Area. The operation was carried out by officers from the Itobe Division working with local auxiliary forces and community leaders.

The suspects were identified as Mutari Ahmed, 26; Mohammed Tairu, 21; Audu Moses Yahaya, 27; Peter Vincent, 28; Progress Aminu, 21; Wisdom Friday, 21; Gabriel Enema, 22; and a 14-year-old boy.

Police said two motorcycles, an axe and a cutlass were recovered during the operation. Preliminary investigations reportedly indicated that the group had assembled to appoint a leader for a local cult group. Some of the suspects allegedly acknowledged links to the Aro-Baga Vikings and Aiye confraternities and provided information about other people suspected of being connected to their activities.

Kankarofi said the arrests came amid intelligence reports of possible clashes between rival groups in Itobe and Ejule communities, where longstanding rivalries, territorial disputes and alleged retaliatory attacks have raised security concerns.

He added that the command had strengthened security measures to protect residents, commuters and security facilities against possible violence or reprisals.

The cult-related case has been referred to the Violent Crime Response Unit for further investigation. Police said efforts were continuing to locate other suspects, identify possible accomplices and establish the extent of the alleged activities.

In a separate operation, officers arrested three men in Idah on October 20 over alleged criminal conspiracy, fraudulent banking activities and ATM card swapping.

The suspects were identified as Philip Akiola, 50; Ojo Thomas, 56; and Abdulrauf Suleiman, 48.

The commissioner said the operation followed surveillance initiated after a complaint lodged on May 19, 2026, by a customer who reportedly lost ₦1.5 million after his ATM card was allegedly swapped.

Police said they recovered 59 ATM cards belonging to different banks and a vehicle allegedly linked to the suspected syndicate.

According to preliminary findings released by the command, the suspects allegedly used a distraction technique to target ATM users. One person would reportedly observe a customer entering a personal identification number (PIN), while another distracted the customer and swapped the bank card. The stolen card and observed PIN could then allegedly be used to gain access to the victim’s funds.

Kankarofi said investigators believed the operation had been running for more than a year. The suspects reportedly identified an individual known as “Sunday”, said to be living abroad, as the person who introduced them to the alleged scheme.

The police also said the group primarily targeted ATM users at branches of First Bank, Union Bank and United Bank for Africa within its area of operation.

The ATM fraud case is being referred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Lokoja for further investigation.

The command advised bank customers to protect their PINs when using ATMs, decline unsolicited assistance from strangers and check that they have retrieved their own cards before leaving a machine. Anyone who suspects that a card has been swapped should contact their bank immediately to block it and report the incident to the police.

The police said investigations into both cases were continuing and reiterated that the suspects would be treated in accordance with the law and presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court.

Reporting by TalkNaija Media