Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has directed the police in the state to arrest and prosecute all cultists including the criminal elements involved in the recent wave of cultism and other violent activities in the state.

The governor gave the order on Friday during a courtesy visit on him by the new Commissioner of Police, Mr Zaki Ahmed, at the Government House, Uyo.

Last year, Governor Emmanuel signed into law the Cultism and other Violent Behaviour Prohibition Order 2018 with effect from March 12, 2018, making it a criminal offence for anyone to engage in cultism in the state.

The governor had said the security issues in Etim Ekpo, Ukanafun and Ikot Ekpene Local Government areas of the state at that time required security reinforcement.

But worried by a renewed wave of cultism, which had claimed some lives in the state, Emmanuel said, “It is quite sad for a student to take the life of a fellow student in the name of cultism.

“The police must get to the root of all this, and apprehend the perpetrators while the school authorities should not hesitate to expel such bad eggs.”

He thanked the police for their commitment to rid the state of criminals and called for an increase in their patrols, promising that necessary logistics would be provided by the state government to assist them in their efforts to combat crime.

Earlier, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed, had said he was at the government house to intimate the governor of his posting to the state and to solicit his maximum cooperation to succeed in his duties.

He thanked the governor for his peaceful disposition and partnership with the security agencies to make Akwa Ibom one of the safest states in the country.

Ahmed said, “I assure you of our readiness to collaborate with other security outfits to maintain the peace and eradicate all forms of criminality in Akwa Ibom State.”

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