The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested two men suspected to be cultists involved in ritualistic activities in Imo.

The NSCDC commandant in Imo, Matthew Ovye, said this while parading the suspects in Owerri, on Wednesday.

Mr Ovye said that the Command’s Rapid Response Squad arrested the suspects along the Okigwe road, Owerri, while they were attempting to forcefully dispossess a second-year student of the Imo State University, simply identified as Neme, of her belongings on her way to the campus.

He said that the suspects used charms on their unsuspecting victim and were about to lure her into carting away her belongings before the intervention of his men.

“They are locally called ‘One Chance People’. They usually use mini-buses to disguise themselves as commercial commuters to carry out their nefarious activities using charms which we also recovered from them.

“We’re currently investigating them and we will prosecute them in due course because they are sabotaging the efforts of the government and contributing to insecurity,” he said.

He advised Imo people to be cautious when boarding buses and report suspected persons to the appropriate authorities.

He, however, assured the general public that the NSCDC was “synergising with other security agencies through intelligence sharing “ to nip the ugly trend in the bud.

Speaking, the 20-year-old victim, simply identified as Neme, said: “I was on my way to school at about 8.00 a.m. on Monday when a mini-bus stopped in front of me, with two men alighting from the bus.

 “They asked me to remove my bangle claiming it’s a symbol of their cult group and to buy them something to appease them but I made a call and they immediately fled,” she said.

One of the suspects, 30-year-old Ifeanyi Ogu, said he simply stopped Neme to admire her bangle, expressed interest in her and exchanged contacts.

The second suspect, 23- year-old Stanley Ibeh, totally denied involvement in the events leading to their arrest.

 (NAN)