The police command in Edo says it arrested 80 suspected criminals to reduce crimes and ensure a peaceful yuletide.

Police commissioner Muhammed Dankwara said the suspects were arrested in the ongoing clampdown against criminals starting December 1.

The police chief, who spoke to journalists in Benin while parading the suspects, said they were arrested for robbery, POS fraud, unlawful possession of ATM cards, and cultism.

The offences also included car snatching, unlawful possession of fire and kidnapping.

Commenting on the POS fraud, the police commissioner urged the public to be vigilant so they would not fall prey to the operators.

“Do not give POS operators the opportunity to see your pin as well as the privilege of time to manipulate and give you an old ATM card,” he said.

According to him, the majority of the suspects were arrested for cultism, alleging that they had intelligence that highly placed individuals were supporting and behind cult groups.

“This is to warn either those in government or outside that are supporting cult groups tactically or financially to desist from it because anybody, no matter how highly placed, would be prosecuted,” stated Mr Dankwara.

He called on cult groups to desist from their criminal act as the clampdown would continue since there was no benefit to being a cult member.

“Anywhere we know that there are cultists, whether individual houses or public places, we would go there and arrest them,” he added.

(NAN)