Nigerians have expressed outrage after suspected cultists reportedly renovated part of a police outpost in Rivers State and returned to the facility to celebrate the completion of the project.
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Videos showed suspected Vikings cultists in red and white outfits as they celebrated the renovation of a police outpost in Abuloma, Rivers State.
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Rivers police queried and suspended the DPO and officer overseeing the facility pending an investigation into the cultists’ renovation.
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Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju ordered investigators to identify who financed the renovation and determine which officers authorised the project.
Videos circulating on social media showed members of the DNKI, also known as the Vikings confraternity, at the Abuloma Police outpost near Okuru Junction in the Trans Amadi area of Port Harcourt.
The footage captured the men, reportedly members of the group in red and white outfits, as they gathered inside the facility. Another section of the video showed part of the outpost that the group allegedly renovated.
The development has raised concerns about the relationship between suspected cult groups and the police institutions responsible for enforcing the law and protecting residents.
Following the public outcry, the Rivers State Police Command on Friday, October 16, queried and relieved the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Abuloma Division and the officer overseeing the affected outpost of their duties pending an investigation.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, the command said Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga A. Adepoju had ordered a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the renovation.
Investigators will identify the individuals or groups that financed the project, establish which officers authorised the work, determine whether due procedures were followed and ascertain whether any personnel breached professional standards.
The command condemned any action capable of compromising the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force, stressing that police facilities must not become platforms for suspected criminal groups to gain recognition or influence.
Although the police acknowledged that communities could contribute to improving their facilities, it insisted that such assistance must not compromise police independence, security or professional standards.
The command added that anyone found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary or legal action, depending on the findings of the investigation.
