Diri orders crackdown on cultism in Bayelsa after student killing

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has launched a decisive offensive against cult-related activities, instructing security agencies to arrest and the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice to ensure the swift prosecution of those involved. 

Speaking at a State Executive Council meeting, Governor Diri condemned the resurgence of cult clashes, emphasizing 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 renounce cultism, warning, “You were not born a cultist. Remember your family and purge yourself of cultism.” He also pointed out that cultists are often manipulated by individuals who themselves avoid such activities. “The government will continue to ensure that our state is crime-free. If it offends anybody, we have no apologies,” Diri stated. 

Briggs, who had completed his final exams and was awaiting his project defense, was rushed to Tantua Clinic in Amassoma.

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However, he was denied treatment due to procedural restrictions on gunshot wounds and died from blood loss while being transported to Yenagoa. 

The Bayelsa Police, through spokesman DSP Musa Muhammad, confirmed the incident and stated that investigations are ongoing.

This killing is part of a wave of cult violence that has resulted in at least 10 deaths in the past two weeks, prompting Governor Diri’s renewed crackdown.

Police Commissioner Alonyenu Francis Idu recently highlighted internal cult disputes as a primary cause of the violence and vowed to prosecute cult members, sponsors, and sympathizers.