ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
The police team of Operation Doo Akpo in collaboration with the vigilante members of Ogobiri community, Sagbama Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, on Tuesday arrested a suspected ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ ritualist.
The suspected ritualist, Mr Sunday Favour Ojo, an indigene of Edo State, was arrested in Sagbama.
It was gathered that the suspect allegedly lured his victim, Deborah Emafidon, a student of the state-owned Niger Delta University, Amassoma, with money, dated her and wanted to use her for ritual.
The suspect was said to have taken Emafidon to Ogobiri-Toruebeni in Sagbama area of the state before he was apprehended.
It was also gathered that the suspected ritualist succeeded in tying his victim’s hands and legs and was on the verge of cutting off her neck when police team and Ogobiri youths, acting on tip-off, rounded him up and arrested him.
The arrested suspect was said to have been taken into custody for further investigation while his victim, Emafidon, was said to have been taken to an undisclosed hospital.
Spokesman for Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, has confirmed the incident and the arrest of Ojo.
Butswat, a Superintendent of Police, said the arrest of the suspect was carried out by Operation Doo Akpo team and vigilante members of Ogobiri.
Butswat said: “The suspect lured his victim, one Deborah Emafidon, female, a student of Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Amassoma, to a nearby bush, tied her hands and was about to slit her throat when he was apprehended by the vigilante members and police operatives.
“The Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, Echeng E. Echeng, commended the vigilante members for their role in the arrest and appealed to members of the public to continue to volunteer useful information to the Police and other security agencies, as discreet investigation into the matter has since commenced.”