Awka, Anambra State – The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four suspected cultists following a violent clash in Nsugbe community, Anambra East Local Government Area.

The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday behind the Nwafor Orizu College of Education, saw rival groups of cultists armed with cutlasses, broken bottles, daggers, and other weapons attack one another.

Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday. He said the suspects were apprehended during a joint operation involving police operatives and local vigilantes.

“On September 16, 2025, at about 7 am, armed miscreants suspected to be cultists were sighted attacking one another with dangerous weapons behind Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe. A swift response by a combined Police/Vigilante team led to the arrest of four suspects: Oyachonam Friday, 26; Akachukwu Ekwenze, 23; David Chukwuma, 25; and Eziolise Aloysius, 23,” the statement read.

Ikenga disclosed that one of the suspects, David Chukwuma, sustained machete cuts during the clash and is currently receiving medical treatment. He added that the suspects confessed to belonging to the dreaded “AYES” confraternity.

The command said the case remains under investigation, with efforts underway to track down other fleeing cultists.

Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, reassured residents that the command remains committed to intensifying its crackdown on cultism and violent crime across the state.

The arrests come just days after suspected cultists stormed a burial in Ezi Village, Ogidi, Idemili North LGA, killing at least four people and injuring about 15 others.

The latest incident underscores growing concerns over cult-related violence in Anambra communities, as security agencies step up efforts to curb the menace.