Big Story: Seven Cult Members Arrested by Police Operatives Over Alleged Murder of Student

The Niger State Police Command has arrested seven individuals linked to the murder of Abdulwahab Jafar, a student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL), in a suspected cult-related incident... Read ..Full.. Article.. .

The student’s death occurred following a violent clash between rival cult groups on June 23, 2025, which prompted Governor Mohammed Umar Bago to order a temporary shutdown of the university.

The unrest also triggered broader disturbances in the Lapai community, leading to the deployment of police tactical units to restore order.

According to a statement released by the command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, a combined team from the Tactical Support Team (TST) and the Force Intelligence Department’s Special Tactical Squad (FID STS) launched an intensive investigation.

As a result, 19 individuals were initially taken into custody across Lapai and other parts of the state, based on actionable intelligence.

Further scrutiny narrowed the list to seven suspects believed to be directly involved in Abdulwahab’s murder.

Abiodun confirmed that these individuals are alleged members of the Neo Black Movement of Africa (NBM), a group associated with cult-related crimes including initiations, armed robbery, and cyber fraud.

The suspects currently in custody include: Idris Hamza (27) of Maikunkele,Suleiman Damilare (27) of Maikunkele, Abdulsemiu Bashir (23) of Lapai, Bawa Aliyu (27) of Suleja, Yakubu Musa, also known as Pypa (24) of Maikunkele, Samson Abbah, also known as Small (28) of R/Yanshi, Solomon Musa, also known as Cabella (28) of Maitumbi, and..  Read . .More