The Edo State Police Command has arrested 21 secondary school students, aged 14 to 17, for their alleged involvement in cult-related activities, while three others reportedly escaped during the raid.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Chidi Yamu, confirmed that the students are all pupils of Ogioma Public Secondary School, located on Limit Road, off Benin–Sapele Road in Benin City.
According to Yamu, the suspects have already been arraigned in court. Eight of them were remanded in prison custody, while the remaining 13 were released to their parents and guardians on the condition that they return to court on November 28, 2025, for continuation of the case.
The arrests followed a foiled attack on Osemwende Public Secondary School, Oghoghibi — also off Benin–Sapele Road. Police operatives from the Loveworld Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, acted on credible intelligence and apprehended the students on November 12, 2025, at about 1:45 p.m.
Yamu explained that officers acted swiftly after intelligence indicated that suspected cult members from Ogioma Public Secondary School were heading to Osemwende Public Secondary School in a convoy of motorcycles, allegedly to launch a violent attack. They were intercepted before they could carry out the planned assault.
The police further revealed that the principals of both schools have been invited for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.
“Preliminary investigation uncovered a circulated voice note in which the suspects threatened to ‘stage a war,’ burn down the school, and harm students and staff — a threat they attempted to execute before being subdued by the police,” Yamu said.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, has urged parents and guardians to monitor their children closely and remain vigilant about their associations both in and out of school.
He also called on school authorities to strengthen discipline, immediately report suspicious activities, and work with security agencies to combat juvenile delinquency and school-based violence.
The statement emphasized the Command’s commitment to ensuring safety in schools in line with the Police Force’s Safe Schools Initiative.
Recovered items from the suspects included three knives.
