From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has launched a decisive offensive against cult-related activities, directing security agencies to arrest and the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice to ensure swift prosecution of those involved.
Speaking at a State Executive Council meeting, the governor condemned the resurgence of cult clashes, emphasising his administration’s zero-tolerance policy for crime.
“We will not fold our arms and watch cultists overrun the state,” Diri declared, linking the upsurge to the upcoming election cycle. He urged youths to shun cultism, warning, “You were not born a cultist. Remember your family and purge yourself of cultism.”
He noted that cultists are often manipulated by others who avoid such activities themselves, adding, “The government will continue to ensure that our state is crime-free. If it offends anybody, we have no apologies.”
Diri’s directive follows the killing of Abinna Precious Briggs, a final-year student of Mechanical Engineering at the Niger Delta University (NDU) in Amassoma. Briggs, a former student unionist who served as Chief of Staff to the Student Union President and Director of Security and Strategy, was shot by suspected cultists on Monday, May 12, 2025, at Okolobama Express Junction.
Having completed his final exams and awaiting project defence, Briggs was rushed to Tantua Clinic in Amassoma but was denied treatment due to procedural restrictions on gunshot wounds. He died from blood loss while being transported to Yenagoa.
The Bayelsa Police, through spokesman DSP Musa Muhammad, confirmed the incident and ongoing investigations. The killing, part of a wave of cult violence claiming at least 10 lives in two weeks, prompted Diri’s renewed clampdown. Police Commissioner Alonyenu Francis Idu recently highlighted internal cult disputes as a key trigger, vowing to prosecute members, sponsors, and sympathisers.